Skyward
by Thousand Arrows
Summary: Following her father's death, Zelda is the newly crowned Queen of Hyrule. However, she lacks some things to be a good queen, like a husband, an heir, and the confidence. But when Hyrule becomes involved with political issues of other countries, Zelda will find everything she needs.
1. Chapter 1

Originally, Arya had planned to leave the forsaken Braavos by ship. But instead, she found herself running. Running through the dirty streets of the city, running along the shore, and running to the outskirts of the city.

 _Don't go to the desert_ , she had been told many times over and over again. There were many dangers in the desert. The biggest being the Dothraki _khalasars_. This horse bound indigenous people raided many villages and killed everyone in them. Even though Arya had obtained her precious sword, Needle, she knew she would be no match for a Dothraki. But she had feared the Faceless Men so much that almost nothing could convince her to stop running.

The other danger, however, was starvation and malnourishment. The desert was a vast and lonely place, and Arya knew if she needed help, no one would be there to offer it.

 _But I have to keep going._ She thought to herself. _No turning back now._

Soon, Braavos was nothing ripples in the skyline to Arya, and she was completely alone in the desert.

An unusual desert. Arya took note of her surroundings. There was nothing but sand dunes, and a harsh wind blew fierce. The flying sand stung Arya's eyes, so she covered them with her shirt and decided to keep moving. Soon, tall wooden poles stuck up from the sand, with cloth flags flying at the top. The skylight had become considerably darker and the sandstorm kicked up even worse.

Despite the aches in her legs, Arya kept running.

 _These flagpoles must lead to somewhere. I should follow them_.

Eventually weariness overcame her, and she found herself dragging along in the sand.

That was, until, she saw a building in the distance. Her eyes could barely make it out in the sandstorm, and she wasn't sure if it was a hallucination. Either way, she had to remain hopeful. She could not stay out in the sandstorm all night.

She picked up her speed as best as possible until she was right in front of the building.

It was one of the most immaculate building she had ever seen. Above the amazing masonry gate entrance, there was colossal statue of a desert woman. She wore loose, balloon pants with only a patterned bra. She sat in a cross-legged yoga position, and her all-knowing eyes stared down at the observer with trance like wonder.

The relief Arya felt at finding this building settled within her, and only then did she realize the exhaustion that she had felt. Her already unreliable eyesight began to blur even more, and she felt all the strength leave her knees as she fell onto the sand.

* * *

When she woke, she was in a small room, surrounded by stone walls, and laying on the sandy ground. The weather was still warm, but the sandstorm had subsided, and it was completely nighttime.

She stood up, and noticed that the ceiling of the room reaching about thirty feet above her, with a wooden oning functioning as a ceiling and a small cutout underneath it for a window.

"Hello!" she called out. "Can someone help me?"

There was no response.

"My name is Arya Stark! I'd like to know where I am!"

Then a metal hook stabbed into the wooden oning and a woman stood in the window.

She fearlessly dropped down into Arya's cell with her. She had two scimitars strapped to her belt. The woman, in appearance, looked much like the statue. She wore baggy red pants with a matching red bra, and her red-orange hair was pulled into a ponytail on the top of her head.

"Who are you?" Arya asked.

"I am Zimo," she said in a think, unfamiliar accent. "I am second in charge around here. Why did you come?"

"I didn't mean to. I was running away from someone, and I got lost."

"All who wander in the Haunted Wasteland get lost."

Arya scrunched her nose. _Haunted?_

"Where am I? Am I inside the building with the large statue."

"No," Zimo replied. "All outsiders are forbidden to enter the Spirit Temple. We brought you back to our stronghold, the Gerudo fortress."

"Right," Arya pretended to follow along. "So can I leave now?"

"No, you are our prisoner now. And nothing will happen to you until the exhalted Nabooru decides."

After that, Zimo aimed her strange projectile hook back at the oning and exited the cell.

 _Who is Nabooru? Why am I a prisoner?_ Arya felt the anxiety raise in her stomach.

 _Where the hell am I?_

Arya whimpered helplessly in her cell and sank to her knees. She sat that way all night until the sun came up. After some time had passed with the morning sunlight, Arya looked at her high window and was frightened to see another desert woman standing in it.

The woman looked exactly like the last, except she wore white clothing with red and green patterns on them. She was donned in jewelry all over. And the smile on her face was intimidating to Arya, but also comforting at the same time.

"Hey, kid," the desert woman spoke to her. "It's time we get to talk now."


	2. Chapter 2

By her appearance, Arya knew this woman was the boss around here. And even though her voice seemed friendly enough, she was even more intimidating than any Lannister.

The woman quietly jumped down from the window and landed in front of Arya. She stood tall, and eyed her down.

"What's your name?" the desert woman asked.

"I'm Arya Stark, of Winterfell," Arya complied with her.

"Interesting," the redhead began to circle the girl. "That's in Westeros, isn't it?"

"Yes," Arya's eyes lit up. "You've heard of it before? Winterfell?"

"Of course," the woman answered.

"So have you traveled there-" Arya began to talk until the woman clasped her hand around her mouth and held a long, curved knife at Arya's throat.

"What are you doing here?" the woman sneered. "What's a Westerosi kid doing in a place like this? Are you a spy for those demonic lions?" Her eyes burned into Arya's, and she could feel the fear burning in her blood.

Arya tried to shake her head no, and the woman released her hand when she noticed tears falling from Arya's face.

"No... No I'm not a spy," Arya cried. "I am a vagabond. A stranger to every land I enter. I watched my father die; and since then, I've been traveling farther away from my home. I've been trying to go back, but running away is always the option forced on me." She lowered her head and allowed the tears to run down her face.

The woman's facial expression softened, and she pulled the knife away from Arya. She turned around and allowed Arya to recollect herself.

Arya looked at the woman, with tears staining her face. She did not speak, instead she waited for the woman's next move.

"I am Nabooru, and you're in the Gerudo Fortress," Nabooru interrupted the silence.

Arya hesitated to respond, but she finally knew what to say. "What does that mean?"

"It means you're in the theives' hideout, kid," Nabooru smiled. "We are a race completely of women. Only one man is born every one hundred years."

"And is that man your king?" Arya asked.

"Of a sort," Nabooru answered roughly.

"Where is your king now? You seem to be highly adored here."

"He... vanished," Nabooru told Arya. "Anyway, kid. The Fortress isn't a place for kids. I can't keep you in this cell, and I certainly can't keep you in this desert."

"So you're going to let me go then?" Arya was eager to leave the dark cell.

"Of course not," Nabooru answered. "I'm taking you to the queen. She can decide what to do with you."

"Your queen?" Arya was confused. "I thought you only had a king."

Nabooru laughed. "You're not just in the fortress kid. You're in Hyrule."

* * *

The journey from Gerudo Valley to Hyrule was shorter than a trip through Westeros, but long enough to unsettle Arya's impatience. The Gerudo hadn't been completely kind to her coming, and she feared what the Queen would do with her. The last queen Arya tested had her father killed.

The travelers were few. There was Nabooru, Zimo, and two other Gerudo guards - named Kya and Jaya - who accompanied Arya to the Queen.

For a while, Arya sat silent on her horse while Nabooru and Zimo conversed in their native language. Eventually, Nabooru caught sight of Arya.

"Cheer up, kid. Castletown is more fun than the Fortress," Nabooru had said to her, but she didn't respond. Arya was too deep in her remorse and failure to her family to reflect on her current situation.

As nightfall welcomed them, the small sight of Castletown on the horizon urged them to keep going.

* * *

The evening light glowed in the window, and Queen Zelda longed to be anywhere but in her council meeting.

Her council was small and consisted of many high nobles. Zelda believed they were good, and she felt happy to have such a good council; but meetings dragged on for her, and she longed to do other, more adventurous things.

She sat at the end of a magnificent mahogany table, and her four council members occupied the sides of it. On the right side sat Lady Marlene, the treasurer of Hyrule. Though she was older in age, her wits were sharp as ever. She had served under Zelda's father and had loved her since she was born.

Next to Marlene was Lord Larson, Zelda's advisor of domestic affairs. Like Marlene, Larson had served Zelda's father, but only for a few years before her father's untimely death. Larson had always supported Zelda, and allowed her to make her own decisions. He offered valuable advice. Zelda was fond of his presence in her council.

To her left sat the advisor of foreign affairs, Lord Annais. Annais had always kept quiet and reserved, but he wasn't afraid to oppose against something he didn't believe him. Sometimes he watched Zelda with curious eyes during an entire meeting. He could be uncomfortable at times, but he was helpful, so Zelda couldn't speak so badly of him.

And next to Annais was by far her favorite member of her council: Ser Link, the Lord Commander of the Hylian Army.

Link was young, and he and Zelda were around the same age. He had golden hair that hung to his shoulders, but most of it was tucked under his long green cap. He wore the traditional high knight's wear of Hyrule: a green tunic, silver chainmail, beige trousers, brown boots, and the long green cap. Sometimes, in battle, he would put on minimal armor "in his weakest places" as to be more agile in battle.

But Zelda's favorite piece of Link's clothing was his scarf. Made from priceless fabric colored in the royal Hylian blue, the scarf gathered around his shoulders and almost went down to his ankle. At the end, it donned the Wingcrest: a crimson Loftwing upholding the sacred golden Triforce.

As fate would have it, Zelda knew Link very well. He came to her as a young boy from the Kokiri Forest. He carried the Kokiri Emerald from the Great Deku Tree, and Zelda always knew there would be something special about him. It turned out that Ganondorf, King of the Gerudo Thieves, had been making a pact with her father that would end in Hyrule's demise. However, Zelda knew her dreams of a fairy boy had been premonitions when Link came to her.

After that, she sent him out on a quest. He gathered the rest of the Hylian Jewels and opened the Door to Time. Unfortunately, Ganondorf had been waiting for Link in the Temple of Time and entered the Sacred Realm, claiming the Triforce of Power for himself. Even though Link had been sealed in the Sacred Realm for seven years, he had returned triumphantly, defeating all of Ganondorf's minions and eventually Ganondorf himself.

As a result of Ganondorf's actions, the other pieces of the Triforce sought their true keepers. Zelda herself had received the Triforce of Wisdom, which enabled her to become an expert with the magic of the Triforce. And Link received the Triforce of Courage, which granted him the use of some magic, but he had become more powerful in endurance and bravery.

The Triforce pieces were all that remained of Ganondorf's evil rule, as Zelda had used her magic to seal him away and revert time. Link's actions had gone untold and unknown, but only a few remember. I remember. The Sages remember.

 _Ganondorf remembers._

When he came back to Zelda again, she wanted to send him away. But instead, she let him sneak past the guards almost every day so that they could see each other. They stayed in her private garden, and played childish games Link had learned from the Kokiri, and Zelda taught him how to speak Ancient Hylian.

Their time together had been secretive until they had turned sixteen, and Link volunteered for the army. Unsurprisingly, his war efforts were outstanding. And slowly, Link began to climb the ranks of the Hylian Army, until he was elected unanimously the be the new Lord Commander by all of the army.

Link's contribution to the council was minimal, but his presence enchanted Zelda. She admired him deeply, but she knew she could never let her affections be publicly known.

"My Queen?" Lady Marlene spoke.

Zelda snapped out of her trance, and reverted her attention to Marlene. "What was that?"

"The town's festival, my Queen," Marlene continued. "Shall we donate rupees again?"

"Of course we can," Zelda stated. "Can this meeting be ajourned? I grow tired."

The council members nodded their heads and rose, and Zelda looked each and every one of them in the eye. Link was the last one to catch her gaze, and he held it longer, while a hint of smile curved at his lips.

Zelda was forced to break her gaze with the feeling of a hand on her shoulder. She turned around to see Impa, her Sheikah handmaid. The Sheikah were an ancient tribe of people who swore to protect the Hylian Royal Family. Most Sheikah have died over the ages, and Impa was believed to be the last Sheikah living.

"My Queen," Impa spoke to Zelda in her serious yet affectionate tone. "Sleeping in your meetings again?"

Zelda smiled. "You caught me."

The two made there way to the door and exited the Chamber of the Council. Hyrule Castle was now faintly illuminated the torches lighting every few feet in the hallways.

"Perhaps I should see you to bed, then," Impa spoke. "For as early as you retire, I'm surprised you get tired so quickly, your Grace."

"I'm not used to being a Queen yet. It's hard work," Zelda said as they approached the door to her chamber.

Zelda's chamber was the most extravagant chamber in the castle. The marble floors were royal Hylian blue, and her feather bed was dressed with silver sheets. The high posts on her bed supported a beautiful blue canopy. And the designs painted on the walls accentuated the chamber perfectly.

Impa had alreadly laid out bedclothes for Zelda, so Zelda quickly dismissed her. She had preferred to dress herself.

 _And besides,_ Zelda thought. _He might be here soon._

After Zelda had changed, she crawled into her bed and welcomed the comfort. She laid there, staring at her open doors that led to her balcony. The moonlight was just enough to light the room, and the cool wind blew at Zelda's long, dirty blonde hair.

Before long, she heard the familiar sound of the vines on the balcony being pulled.

She rustled from her bed and stood eagerly stood beside it.

A black figure pulled himself from the vines and onto the balcony. He wore a large black cloak and his hood covered his face. He remained still, and seemed to stare at Zelda.

She smiled, and walked forward slightly. The cloaked figure moved towards the queen in a rushing manner.

Zelda put her hands on the figure's biceps. "I was starting to think you wouldn't come."

The figure pulled of his hood, and revealed himself to be Link. "Ah, well, my love. I always do."

Zelda smiled happily and fervently kissed Link.

After a few minutes, Link paused to remove his cloak and boots. Then, he continued the opened-mouthed kisses with Zelda and led her to her bed, where they would remain in the safety and secrecy of each other's arms until morning, when duty and politics would separate them.


	3. Chapter 3

The sun shining behind her eyelids forced them open; and as Zelda had expected, she was in her bed alone.

This was not the first nor the last time Link had snuck into her chamber. They started their habit around a few years ago, when Zelda finally had the courage to admit her admiration for Link. She didn't feel too guilty, because she was not wed nor engaged, but she felt sad to remember that she could never marry Link.

Link is a man from simple life. During the Hylian Civil War, which happened a little over twenty years ago, a lost and wounded Hylian woman ran for refuge into the Lost Woods with her infant son. She eventually stumbled upon the Kokiri Forest, where only forest children inhabit it. Saria, the leader of sorts, took the woman to the Great Deku Tree who would determine what to do about the Hylians, as no other people were allowed. When the Great Deku Tree saw the infant baby, he immediately knew that the baby would fulfill a great destiny, and that the baby must be protected at all costs. Unfortunately, the mother was mortally wounded, and by the time she saw the Deku Tree, she was taking her last breaths. The mother requested that Saria take care of him. After Saria had taken the infant from it's mother's arms, she asked for his name, and the mother only replied with "Link" before she took her last breath.

Link spent his childhood life, his _unaltered_ childhood life, in the Kokiri Forest. He adapted to their lifestyle and culture pretty easily, and almost all of the Kokiri children were his friends. Except for Mido, who had always given Link a hard time because of his close friendship with Saria. Mido may have been jealous, but he never admitted it. Saria always reminded Link to not worry about Mido, though he did test his patience.

While most of the Kokiri children were into arts and storytelling, Link had his interests set on other things. One day, he wandered off into an obsolete part of the Kokiri Forest, where he found a sword fit for a child. He stayed back there, and attempted to remember the art of swordsmanship he had mastered on his quest to save Hyrule from Ganondorf. She scolded him when she discovered what he was doing, as the Great Deku Tree forbid violent activities like so; but she promised to keep his secret.

Link spent the rest of his childhood in the forest until, eventually, Saria knew she had to tell him his true identity.

Kokiri children did not grow past the physical appearance of a child, though most Kokiri children, like Saria, were many years Link's senior. Hylians, like Link, would grow to be full adults, and Saria knew that the other children would be suspicious of him if he entered his young adult stage in the Forest. One day, on his tenth birthday, Saria morosely sent Link off to see the Great Deku Tree, who would tell Link he had to leave.

The story of Link's mother had sent him to tears, apparently; but he was determined to live a full and eventful life, no matter what.

 _"You are to have a great destiny,"_ the Great Deku Tree had spoke to him.

Of course, the children never knew that Link was Hylian, but they knew the Great Deku Tree was sending Link off to fulfill his destiny. And, of course, he couldn't leave without parting gifts.

The first gift he received was his secret sword that he had mastered all these years. The Great Deku Tree allowed Link to take it with him, after he learned about Link's secret activities. The Great Deku Tree was practically omnipotent, after all, as he observed all the children.

The other gift that has lasted Link all these years was a fairy ocarina given to him by Saria.

 _"I know someday you won't be able to come back and see me,_ " Saria spoke sadly. _"So listen to this long, and learn it well. It will enable us to speak to one another."_

And since then, the pleasant melody of Saria's song has inspired Link to become the man he is.

Upon the first night of Link's departure, he ventured off into the vastness of Hyrule Field. He ended up running for refuge into the Lon Lon Ranch early in the night, because he kept getting attacked by ghostly skeletons that rose from the ground. Stalchildren, as he remembered them.

It didn't take him long to fit into Lon Lon Ranch, as Talon, the owner, took an immediate liking to Link's determination and his daughter Malon seemed to value his company as well. They offered him a job in exchange for room and board. He spent several years baling hay for horses and fetching fresh water from Zora's River. He had taken a few trips to Castletown to drop off supplies for the castle; but he never made it to Zelda's magnificent home.

Even though he felt peace and comfort at the Lon Lon Ranch, Link knew that he wasn't meant to be there forever. That he had another path waiting for him to step on it.

When he had turned sixteen, he volunteered for the Hylian Army. And over the years, Link had earned many great honors, enough for him to get Zelda's attention. Eventually, when he became Lord Commander and entered Zelda's council, they found themselves seeing each other more often.

Zelda of course remembered Link, and he remembered her, as well as all the pent-up feelings that were lost in time...

* * *

"Zelda!"

Zelda had dosed off in her bed, but the sound of Impa's voice brought her back to reality.

When her eyes had focused, she noticed Impa was moving quickly around her room, pulling clothes out from her wardrobe and other jewelry from her vanity.

"Yes, Impa. Come on in," Zelda said dryly as she pulled herself from her bed.

Impa sighed. "Sorry. I know it's early, but the Gerudo leader Nabooru arrived at the gates on horseback not too long ago."

"Nabooru?" Zelda asked as she scratched her head. "Is something wrong?"

"No, not really. She's brought a young girl to you, and Nabooru demands audience with you as soon as possible."

With that, Zelda dressed herself hastily and followed Impa out of her own chambers, and off to the throne room.

As much as Zelda felt selfish to admit, the throne room was her favorite room. The immaculate room had tall, narrow windows that came up to a single point running on each entire side, and the rest of the walls were made of bright, fantastic white marble. Just a few, short rising steps rounded at one end of the room leading up to her throne, which was a huge silver chair against the wall, with Royal Hylian Blue draped all around it. Above the throne, the wall donned the Wingcrest. The wings were the same marble as the wall, but the Triforce above them was made of actual solid gold.

Zelda positioned herself on her throne and asked the guards to send Nabooru in.

Once the giant, brass doors opened, Ser Link walked in with five women following him. Zelda recognized Nabooru and her assisstant Zimo, and she knew that the other two were just guards of the fortress, but the one smallest girl stuck out the most in the group.

 _So this must be what we are going to talk about._

"Nabooru!" Zelda exclaimed in a friendly manner. "What brings you into Castletown? Have the Gerudo women decided to look for boyfriends again?" She joked.

Nabooru smiled. "Not this time. Maybe later this week. However, we found this little critter out in the Haunted Wasteland," she motioned towards the girl.

Zelda settled her eyes on the young girl, and slowly rose from her seat. "What is your name?"

The girl did not move.

"I said," Zelda spoke more sternly. "What is your name?"

"Arya," the girl finally muttered.

"Arya," Zelda repeated as she studied the girl. She immediately took note of her ears, which were not pointed like a Hylian's. Her clothes were tattered, but based on the stitching, she could tell the girl was definitely not from Hyrule.

"You're not from here," Zelda started. "So where did you come from?"

"Westeros," the girl spoke softly, and avoided eye contact with Zelda. "Winterfell, exactly."

Any trace of friendliness that Zelda wore on her face vanished as she remembered every horrid memory she had of that place.

* * *

When Zelda was still a young girl, about ten or so, her father had come to her chamber one day in an unusually happy mood. Zelda had been on her balcony with Impa, who was teaching her how to play the harp. When he entered, Impa rose from her seat immediately and allowed him to claim it. He sat down and looked at his young daughter with a big smile.

"My sweet girl, I have good news!" he began. "You are to be wed, when you come of age of course! Isn't that exciting! Hyrule will have more allies!"

The news was a little much for Zelda to take at first, but she was able to ask questions soon. "With who?"

"Why, with Westeros! Across the Narrow Sea from Essos. "They have a relatively new family on their throne, the Baratheons, who wish to form an alliance with Hyrule!"

Zelda only stared at him. She was too young to understand why these things were important; but all her life she had been reminded that she was a princess who had a country to take care of, so she accepted her father's deeds.

She learned that the king, Robert Baratheon, recently had a son, whom he named Joffrey. King Robert reached out to her father, and suggested that the solidify the alliance with a marriage.

For about a year, Zelda spent her days wondering what her married life would be like in Westeros. Until one day, when her father, King Daphnes, decided to send her to Westeros to meet her betrothed.

If only Zelda knew then that she should not go.

Even though Joffrey was still younger than her, he never attempted to show her any respect. He carried on like an even smaller kid, pulling on her hair and pushing her down. Joffrey would try to undo the ties on Zelda's dresses, and his relentless attempts began to outrage her.

One day, Joffrey's father had gifted him with a sword, one fit for a child. The blade shone in their massive throne room, and Zelda could tell even from a distance that it was sharp. She had accompanied him to the courtyard after he got the sword, where she sat on a stone bench as he waved it aimlessly about.

 _"_ You know," he said. "This blade could kill someone."

"Maybe it shouldn't, just yet," Zelda replied.

"Are you trying to tell me what I should do?" Joffrey asked angrily.

"No, I'm just offering you some advice."

Joffrey glared at her, and flicked the sword at her chest.

"If you ever, ever think that you can tell me what to do again, I'll push it through you."

Zelda didn't flinch. She sat there horrified, and stared at Joffrey until he moved the sword away.

Later that day, Joffrey's mother, Queen Cersei, had asked Zelda to come see her in her chamber. She wanted to know how Zelda was liking her future home, and if there was anything else they could do to make her comfortable. Zelda took the opportunity to tell Cersei what Joffrey had done.

Cersei looked at the floor, with an unreadable smile on her face. "My dear," she began, "but you're not here to offer advice. You're here to form bonds, make alliances, and have sons with mine. Don't you understand?"

Zelda's heart rate rose, and she wanted to snap at Cersei; but she chose to let any incidences pass. "Of course, your Grace."

Eventually, King Daphnes had sent a company to Westeros to retrieve Zelda, and she couldn't be more happy to crawl in a royal carriage.

"My sweet girl!" King Daphnes bellowed upon her return. "How was it?"

"Never send me back there again."

Zelda told him the incident with Joffrey, and what Cersei had said to her. She also told him about the realizations she had of these people, and that she thought they were evil. Surprisingly, the king was more than willing to sever the marriage alliance. He would later attempt an alliance through treaty, but his letters went unanswered.

"Oh well," the king had once sighed. "Westeros and Hyrule never really get into conflict anyway. Hopefully they're not mad about ending the engagement."

And even if they were, they knew what kind of army Hyrule had. To this day, Hyrule had an absolutely massive infantry and cavalry, and with the strong presence of magic, they were not a force to be reckoned with.

And so, any words from Westeros went silent for many years.

* * *

"Zelda?" Link spoke, and he knew he was bringing Zelda back from her daydream.

Her eyes snapped wide open, and she focused again on the girl.

"So, Westeros, eh? I've had many unpleasant experiences there. Why did you come?"

"I was running, Queen Zelda," Arya said.

"From who?"

"Originally, the Lannisters. Now, pretty much anyone. My father was hand of the king, and that got him killed."

"Right," Zelda smirked. "And how do I know you don't lie? What if you're just a little spy?"

"I don't lie," Arya interjected. "I wish to seek revenge, but I don't know if I ever can. I'm forced to move forward, when all I want to do is go back. I'm forced to be a vagabond," Arya's voice trailed off as tears formed in her eyes.

Link's face softened with sympathy as he listened to Arya speak.

But Zelda's did not. "Take her to the dungeon for further questioning from investigators." Zelda turned her back to Arya as the guards grabbed her arms.

"Wait!" Link spoke up.

Zelda whipped herself around to stare at him.

"I know how you feel, Arya. To be forced out of your own home. All these years, I've wanted to go back, but I know I never could."

Zelda narrowed her eyes at Link and wondered what he was getting to.

"Luckily, I've had the chance to make myself better, and acquire such amazing things. Now I live in a castle, but I still long for my childhood home." Link turned to face Zelda. "My Queen, I know of your hardships, and why you wouldn't trust any Westeros person, but you need to give her a chance."

"And why should I do that?" Zelda asked.

"She's a young girl, and obviously she's had it tough if she had to go into the Haunted Wasteland."

Zelda nodded her head to the side as if to agree, but she spoke nothing.

Even though Zelda would never trust Arya, she didn't want to be a bad ruler. Or a queen like Cersei.

"A stranger gave me a chance once," Link spoke again. "And look what has become of me."

Zelda stared at the ground while she thought about her final decision.

"See that Arya gets a proper chamber," she spoke to the guards. "As well as a bath, and some new clothes."

Zelda exited the throne room through the secret side entrance without dismissing anyone. Link watched silently from where he stood, with the smallest hint of a smile on his face.

Nabooru and her clan turned around and walked out through the brass doors.

Arya allowed the guards to guide her out of the throne room. She felt confused and relieved that the Queen would give her a chance in her country. Although, she didn't need anyone to tell her that the Queen didn't particularly like her.

 _I won't waste it._ Arya thought to herself. _I'm going to prove myself._


	4. Chapter 4

Arya allowed the guards to pull her to a chamber in the castle as she stared at the stone floor.

After a short time, the guards stopped her in front of a single small door and released her from their grasps. After the guards had vanished from her sight, Arya walked into the room.

It was nothing much than a single person bed with beige sheets, a bedside table, and a wardrobe. There were a few lanterns with unlit candles inside them throughout the room. Across the room there was another small door which led to a washroom.

 _Not much_ , Arya thought to herself. _But more than I've had for years._

Arya took in her surroundings, happy to have even the smallest room to call her own. Somewhere she could feel safe instead of hiding from whatever could come for her.

There was a small window adjacent to the washroom door that Arya hovered over to. When she looked outside, she saw all the Knights of Hyrule doing their daily training. The man with golden hair who saved her from the dungeons observed the knights while mounted on a huge, brilliant horse.

 _Why did he care if I slept in a dungeon or not?_

The more Arya thought, she didn't realize why a man who knows nothing of her would want to help her, especially if helping her went against the wishes of his superior.

She fixated her eyes on the Knights and the way they moved their swords and the way the defended themselves with their shields. And Arya sighed, for she wished to be as skilled as a knight, but she knew she could never accomplish it. Not while everyone expected her to put a dress on.

 _Knock. Knock._

Arya hunched her shoulders at the sound of the knocks. She turned around briskly and clenched her fists together. She had no idea who would want to visit her, but she was in no position to reject it.

"Come in," Arya spoke to the door.

The door opened rather slowly, and a tall, muscular woman with white hair and red eyes peeked her head in. The woman looked Arya up and down, and then proceeded to enter the room the whole way and allowed the door to shut.

"Would you be Arya?" she asked.

"Yes, I am," Arya responded. "And what do I call you?"

"I am Impa." She paused, and then handed Arya a set of new clothes in a clean, folded pile. "Princess Zelda thought it would be appropriate to give you something clean to wear."

"Princess Zelda?" Arya asked, confused.

Impa caught Arya's stare and let out a small smile. "Forgive me, I have known her as Princess Zelda my whole life. She is Queen, as of recently, following her father's death."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Arya said hesitantly. "If it's all right to ask, what did her father die of?"

"Illness, little one," Impa began. "He fell ill very fast, we did not expect it to take him so soon. But..." she trailed off.

"It's okay, Impa," Arya said, examining the clothes Impa had brought for her. "Thank you for the clothes."

Impa nodded her head and turned to leave.

"Impa?"

Impa turned around at Arya's voice and raised her eyebrows.

"Who is that man? The one with the golden hair."

"That is Link. He is the Lord Commander of our army."

Arya knew that with Link's high status she wouldn't be able to speak to him, so she would have to find another way to thank him for helping her.

"Will you tell him thank you for me?"

"Yes, Arya. Oh! And this is for you too." Impa dug in a pouch fastened to her belt and pulled out a small folded letter.

Arya took the letter from Impa and began to open it. Impa left Arya's room without saying another word, but closed the door behind her.

Arya squinted her eyes to read the beautiful handwriting in the letter.

 _Arya,_

 _While I pity you and wish to return you to your home, I do not want to do anything rash. Westeros is a very unstable country, and if your family has encountered any more hardships since you left, we would like to make sure that those hardships have passed before we return you. For right now, you are free to use the chamber that the guards have given you, and you are free to roam the castle grounds. However, stay out of the Knight's Garden, unless provided permission beforehand._

 _\- Queen Zelda Harkinian_

Arya was excited to know that the Queen intended for her to leave; but she was not happy to learn that she would have to stay for a long period of time. Zelda would not permit Arya to even step foot out of the castle grounds unless she knew it was safe for Arya to journey home.

Arya shrugged and looked at the pile of clothes Impa had brought. She picked up the tunic, which was long and brown, and the pants were a dark beige color. She quickly changed into the new clothes and headed out the door to venture around the castle.

Arya followed to hallway to the right of her chamber, and soon she heard a chorus of female voices. As she entered the threshold, she realized the hallway lead to the outside of the castle, where a handful of maidens were washing clothes in a small pool.

Arya went back into the hallway before one of the maidens thought she was there to work, and watched the quietly through a gap in the stonework.

"So," one of the maidens began, "Has the Queen found a noble man to marry yet?"

"I sure hope so," another maiden answered. "People of Hyrule are getting worried that there is still no heir."

"But Queen Zelda has to find a husband first! The little thing has turned her nose up at every noble in the country."

"Doesn't surprise me," a different maiden chimed in. "I hear it's not a noble that's turned her head. It's the Lord Commander."

"Ugh, she should know that she can't marry a commoner."

"Ah, so what if he is! He's charming, absolutely handsome."

"Maybe, but he is from common grounds. He is not a proper suitor for our Queen."

 _So, rumor has it that Queen Zelda has her eye on the Lord Commander. Is that why she was so easily swooned by his suggestion?_

Arya had heard all she wanted to hear, so she set off back down the hallway into the castle.

* * *

Weeks had passed, and Arya had committed the layout of the castle to memory. She knew every turn and staircase by heart, and she could even tell you where the cracks in the walls were.

Impa had showed the great library to Arya a few days after her arrival to the castle, and Arya spent much of her time looking for books to read. She was allowed to take the books back to her chamber, and Arya would spend almost all night reading.

As much as she didn't want to, Impa insisted that Arya read a book about Hyrule's Golden Goddesses. Arya had taken the book back to her room; but instead, she had chosen _The Valyrian Language and Culture,_ in order to understood the dead language in Essos that had haunted her many moons ago.

Her time in Hyrule was, to say the least, boring. When she wasn't reading a book, she was watching the Knights from her window. Every day, the brave men trained against each other to become the strongest Knight in Hyrule. And every day, Lord Link watched them with a flat, unreadable look on his face.

Sometimes Queen Zelda would accompany him to see the progress of her army. She wouldn't stay too long, but long enough to understand their progress and feelings. One day, Arya watched Zelda from her room, and she actually caught Zelda's eye. Since then, she has always peeked her head over her window first, to make sure Queen Zelda was not with Link.

But even spying on Link began to bore her. Eventually, a sense of adventure arose in Arya. One night, Arya slid Needle through her belt and quietly exited her chamber. She made sure her footsteps did not echo on the stone floor, and moved quietly to the Gardens. She knew exactly where the entrance was, and she was able to climb over the huge doors that sealed the Knight's Garden away from the rest of the courtyard.

Arya knew the Queen forbid her to enter the Knight's Garden; but after so many days of staring at it, Arya only wanted to be in it, and see what it was like to be a sword fighter.

The moonlight was just enough to allow Arya to see her way around. Along the castle, every sword and shield that belong to the Knights were mounted on the walls. And even though it was called a Garden, no shrubbery was to be found. Instead, there stood a small statue of a man dressed in a Hylian Army uniform with his sword in attacking position.

Arya approached the statue and drew Needle. She began to joust with the statue, and blocked all of his imaginary moves. Arya smiled at her fictitious triumph over the statue and continued to swing her sword at him.

"Having fun?"

Arya froze with fear when she heard the voice speak to her. Instantly, she dropped Needle to the ground and put her hands above her head. When nothing happened, she turned around to see who the voice belonged to.

Link stood there, smiling at her. "No need for that," he said as he went over to pick up her sword.

Arya loosened up a little as she took Needle back.

"So, were you winning?" Link asked as he continued to smile, which Arya eventually returned.

"So you've got a nice sword of your own," Link commented. "Where did you get it?"

"My brother gave it to me."

"Did your brother teach you how to use it?"

"No, but I've been teaching myself."

Link paused, and drew out a large, shiny sword with a black hilt. "Then show me what you've got."

Though she still felt nervous, Arya was up for the challenge. She and Link put a small distance between themselves as the each raised their swords. Link nodded at Arya, allowing her to make the first move. Arya went in for a side sweep, which Link blocked effortlessly. Then she went straight ahead, but Link pushed her sword to the side. Getting serious, Arya angled herself to stand sideways with her left arm up in front of her face. She pivoted on her right foot as she swung Needle up towards Link's face, but she was once again blocked by Link's immaculate weapon. He pushed Needle out of Arya's hands with his sword, and pointed the tip at Arya's neck.

"Got you," he whispered, then drew his sword into the sheath.

Arya scurried to pick up Needle, and stood to look at Link. "So where did you learn?"

"I taught myself." Link answered. "Over time."

"Do you think you could teach me?"

Link stared at Arya as she waited for an answer. He could tell she was serious, but he was not sure if Arya would be worth it.

Or if Zelda would approve.

"How about instead of watching us from your window every day, you come down here and learn from us? And maybe, we'll let you show us what you've learned."

Arya's eyes lit up, and she smiled at Link. "Very well, then. See you tomorrow."

He returned her smile, and walked away towards the door.

"Why are you up so late?" Arya asked him before he was out of earshot.

Link turned around and only gave her a small smile before he was out of sight.

For little did she know, Link would be heading off to the Queen's chamber, where they would embrace each other under the stars as they wished they could in the sun.

* * *

"Link, you know I forbid her from entering the Knight's Garden."

"You said she needed permission. And I gave it to her." Link talked with Zelda in the Knight's Garden as they observed Arya laughing with a group of Knights.

It had been weeks since Link and Arya's encounter in the night, and Queen Zelda was not thrilled that Link had allowed her to watch the Knights train. He had told her that Arya had a sword of her own, and apparently wished to be handy with the sword. He even told Zelda about Arya's match against the statue. Zelda hated to admit that Arya's spirit uplifted her, but she was unhappy that Arya was medaling with the pride of her country.

"I don't understand why you won't give her a chance. She's a good, honest girl who's had a tough time. She reminds me of myself, so I want her to be happy while she's here."

Zelda didn't respond, but Link was right. Even Zelda didn't understand why she didn't to give her a chance. It was only because of where Arya was from that Zelda grew so much resentment towards her. Zelda told herself over and over that she was being unfair, but her mind never convinced itself.

 _Stop being so rash_ , she had once told herself.

"So what do you think I should do?" She asked Link.

"Oh I don't know, get to know her."

* * *

Arya retreated back to her chamber after the Knights completed their training for the day. She was in a very pleasant mood, because she had made good friends out of all the knights despite her age, gender, and origins.

Although, the Knights always talked about the Golden Goddesses, which Arya did not understand. She was frustrated by her confusion for a while until she remembered the book Impa insisted she read. She had planned to read it when she returned. But she was surprised to see Impa standing outside her chamber waiting for her.

Impa heard her footsteps and stood tall. "Arya," she started. "You are required to attend a private lunch with Queen Zelda."

Arya widened her eyes. "A lunch? With the Queen? Are you serious?"

"Yes. Follow me now, please."

Arya's stomach twisted in a thousand knots as she followed Impa through the castle. Heat began to rush through her body as her eyes focused on the moving floor beneath her. After what seemed like forever, Impa and Arya were in front of two doors Arya thought she would never enter.

* * *

Queen Zelda stood in the living room part of her chambers. There was a small blue sofa against the wall and matching blue chairs placed randomly in the same room, and there was a table that sat four towards the windows in the room. She nervously held her hands while standing next to the table when she heard the door open.

Impa was first, and she greeted the Queen with a large smile and a sweet hug. However, Arya stood back, and she was careful about any moved she make. So, Zelda decided to break the ice.

"Hello, Arya," she greeted. "I'm so glad you could come."

Arya still said nothing, but she attempted to give Zelda a small smile. She was nervous beyond belief, and did not want to make the wrong move and offend the Queen.

"Sit down," Zelda motioned at the table. The three gathered around and took their seats. Zelda sat in the chair closest to the windows, with Arya and Impa on both sides.

"So, Arya, how are things coming along for you in Hyrule?" Zelda asked.

"It's good, uh, your Highness," Arya fumbled over her words.

"You can call me Zelda if you like," she smiled. "It's good, then? Are you comfortable?"

Arya nodded her head in agreement.

"I see you've been joining Link and his Knights for training," Impa chimed in.

Zelda turned to look at Arya, who hunched her shoulders and froze, afraid to reply.

"I think that's great!" Zelda exclaimed. "You remind me of myself. I was into the art of the sword when I was younger, too."

Arya lifted her head, and seemed to gain a little confidence. "So you're a swords-woman?"

"I'm definitely not a knight," Zelda answered. "But I've swung a few swords in my life."

"Queen Zelda has always been more into archery," Impa spoke up.

"I like archery too!" Arya said, more to Zelda than Impa.

Zelda smiled. "I have always liked the bow more than the sword."

"Oh, Zelda, you're too humble," Impa said. "You're the greatest archeress in Hyrule. Your aim is almost as good as your sorcery."

"Sorcery?" Arya asked.

"You see," Zelda said as she tried to arrange her thoughts. "In Hyrule, our creators, the Golden Goddesses, condensed their power into a golden, triangular object, all three pieces are collectively referred to as the Triforce.

"And I'm not sure why," Zelda hesitated. "But as fate would have it, I am the Keeper of Nayru's Power, the Triforce of Wisdom. So over my years I have learned to summon all kinds of magic."

"Arya, you've read the book I showed you about the Golden Goddesses, have you not?" Impa asked.

Arya smiled sheepishly at Impa and Zelda chuckled.

"Well you should," she said. "Our culture is most interesting."

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation, and one of the chefs carried in their lunch and placed it on the table. "Enjoy, my ladies."

Impa removed the lid from the plate to reveal a plate full of assorted sandwiches.

"Try one, Arya. Any one you like." Impa suggested.

Arya picked up one of the slices that was closest to her. She studied it for a moment, and bit into it. She guessed that the meat was chicken, but the sweet sauce that was also on the sandwich tasted unlike anything she ever had.

"It's really good!" She said to both of them. "What's the sauce?"

Impa and Zelda exchanged smiles. "Leever extract," Zelda responded.

Arya didn't like the sound of 'Leever' but ignored it and continued to eat anyway.

"So, Arya," Zelda picked up the conversation. "Tell me about your family."

Arya's heart sank a little, but she knew she was obligated to answer, so she mustered up the courage to talk about her hardships.

"A few years ago, my father was chosen to be hand of the king to Robert Baratheon," she started.

"I know Robert, he was Joffrey's father," Zelda said as she listened.

"Right, but Robert died and left a letter claiming that my dad should be Regent of the Realm until Joffrey came of age to be king. But Cersei, Joffrey's mother, refused to allow this and immediately Joffrey became king."

Arya paused to hold back the tears.

"They called my father a traitor. They shoved him in a dark wet dungeon until it was time for his public trail. I wouldn't even call it a trail because Joffrey didn't listen, he just went ahead and executed my father. Right in front of me."

The tears fell on Arya's hands, and she paused to regain her composure.

"I was lucky enough to escape King's Landing, but who knows what they have done to my poor sister."

"Joffrey is an evil man, Arya. I know how you feel. Your whole family must be outraged," Zelda attempted to soothe her.

"They were," Arya choked out. "My brother declared war on the Lannisters. They marched farther and farther away from the North, until the Lannisters united with another house, House Frey, and killed my mother and brother at a wedding."

"At a wedding?" Impa asked, shocked.

"That's dishonorable," Zelda began. "But I've heard Joffrey got what he deserved."

"Yes, he was killed at his own wedding," Arya agreed.

Zelda laughed. "And to think I was engaged to that monstrous thing."

Arya whipped her head toward Zelda. "Seriously?"

"Yes. My father wanted to make an alliance with Westeros when I was young. They treated me very bad, as well. But luckily, I was able to escape and protect my father and Hyrule from them."

"I never knew that."

"So that's why I've been so standoffish," Zelda said. "I apologize."

"Don't be sorry, Zelda. I would feel the same way."

Zelda paused for a moment. "So do you have any other family?"

"My brother Jon lives, but he is in the Night's Watch, so he can't take me. Who knows about my sister Sansa, last time I saw her was in King's Landing when my father died. I have two younger brothers, Bran and Rickon, they live at Winterfell."

Zelda nodded as she digested all the information. "Well, we will find your way back to Winterfell. Out of a Lannister's sight."

 _Knock. Knock._

The knocker did not want for a response. A guard opened the door and stood proudly before Zelda.

"My Queen. It is time to escort you to court."

Zelda sighed. "All right. I'm sorry Arya. Looks like our lunch is over."

"That's all right," Arya said as they rose from their seat.

"Impa can escort you back to your chamber and you can read that book," Zelda joked. "Maybe we can do this again, sometime?"

"Sure," Arya's face lit up.

She and Impa watched Zelda leave the room, and as Arya walked back to her chamber, she wondered what changed the Queen's feelings about her. But Arya still couldn't be more happy about a new friend in Hyrule.


	5. Chapter 5

_For it is in that Sacred Realm that one will find the divine relic, the Triforce, which contains the essence of the gods._

 _Before time began, before spirits and life existed, three golden goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule. Din, the Goddess of Power. Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom. Farore, the Goddess of Courage._

 _Din, with her strong flaming arms, she cultivated the land and created the red earth. Nayru poured her wisdom onto the earth and gave the spirit of the law to the world. Farore, with her rich soul, produced all life forms who would uphold the law._

 _The three great goddesses, their labors completed, departed for the heavens. And golden sacred triangles remained at the point where the goddesses left the world. Since then, the sacred triangles have become the basis of Hyrule's providence, and the resting place of these triangles has become the Sacred Realm._

 _The Sacred Realm has existed since the creation of the Triforce, and remains in a location unknown, only to be discovered by Hyrule's hero, and the one worthy of drawing the legendary blade from its resting place._

"Are you enjoying your reading?"

Arya snapped her head up, and dazed confusedly while her brain came back to reality. She saw Link standing there, wielding a sword and shield, and small sweat beads dripped down his face.

"It's too hot to read outside today," he continued. "How can you tolerate it?"

"The heat doesn't bother me." Arya replied. "And this book is a lie."

"A lie? How is it a lie?"

"The Triforce doesn't exist in the Sacred Realm, Zelda has it." Arya fought.

Link laughed. "It's not a lie, it's outdated. Look at the cover page, it's older than Zelda."

"When did Zelda get the Triforce?"

"Zelda only has a piece of the Triforce. And who knows, she was meant to have it since the day she was conceived."

"But it used to exist in the Sacred Realm?" Arya asked.

"Right," Link replied.

"So it just.. left? How can the Triforce do that?" Arya was confused.

"It didn't just leave," Link chuckled. "When one piece leaves, the other two will go to their true keepers."

"Then who are the other two keepers?" Arya asked.

Link paused. He knew she was asking questions he shouldn't answer. He knew that he could never reveal himself as the legendary Hero of Time, for the secret rests between Zelda, the Sages, and himself.

 _And him._

"How should I know?" Link finally answered.

"Well, do you know about the 'legendary blade'?"

"You can just call it the Master Sword. Have you been to the market yet?"

"I went there to meet that farm girl for supplies with the staff once."

"Her name is Malon," Link said under his breath, "but did you see the Temple of Time when you were down there?"

"From afar," Arya said. "Why?"

"Inside, there is a black altar in the back of the Temple that says, 'Ye who owns three Spiritual Stones, Stand with the Ocarina of Time, And play the Song of Time.'"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Everyone thinks it's a message," Link said absentmindedly. "They think it at least leads to the Master Sword."

"If it exists," Link added.

"Do you believe it exists?" Arya asked.

"Very much," Link said, while staring at the ground. He faced Arya and gave her a little smile as he walked away peacefully.

Arya watched Link walk away, with his blue scarf flying in the wind. She went back to reading her book about the histories of Hyrule when Link was completely out of sight.

The book described the history of a place called Skyloft, where a legendary Hero of the Sky came from to save the human reincarnated goddess Hylia. The Hero also collected the three pieces of the Triforce. But more interestingly, throughout his journey, and with the help of magic, his Goddess Sword reforged itself into the legendary weapon now called the Master Sword.

The page featured a drawing of what the Master Sword supposedly looked like. Arya was fascinated to see that the entire hilt was colored in with the same royal blue that Hyrule's Royal Family used, save for the grip, which had a diamond-like pattern around it. It was a bright, double edged blade with a ricasso at the bottom, and the same Triforce she had been reading about was etched into the blade by it.

When the Hero of the Sky had successfully completed his quest, he placed the sword back it its pedestal, where, according to the book, it would rest there until the Era of the Hero of Time.

"The Hero of Time," Arya whispered to herself.

According to the book, one day a great evil will cloak the Land of Hyrule, and the Great King of Evil will usurp the throne from the light. However, when the evil ascends, the hero will come and save Hyrule with the legendary blade.

The thought of an evil ruler unsettled Arya, but she understood that a lot of Hyrule's history could be seen as folklore. Besides, an evil ruler wasn't all that outrageous to her, especially because she witnessed a small part of Joffrey's rule.

She kept reading on. _The Hero must collect precious heirlooms located throughout the land of Hyrule in order to acquire the blade of evil's bane._

"The Spiritual Stones!" Arya exclaimed, and laughed a little. Link's guess was not far from the supposed truth. "What was the other thing Link mentioned?" She asked herself while examining the page, but nothing else reminded her of Link's phrase.

Arya lifted her head from the book again, and thought about ways to discover the history of the Hero of Time. The thought of visiting the temple passed her mind, since she was now allowed to accompany the castle employees to pick up supplies from Castletown Market. However, she knew that going alone would be risky.

The information about the sword intrigued Arya the most. As she inspired to be a master swordsman, she was desperate to be in the presence of such a legendary magical blade. Also, she was intrigued to see its design and craft.

By this time, all of the knights had retired to their chambers to prepare themselves for their evening activities. Sometimes they ate together, but they usually spent the rest of the day with their families. The Castle never did much of festivity, even Queen Zelda preferred a quiet dinner with her nursemaid Impa. Everyone else in the castle would settle down during sunset as well.

 _So with everyone settling down for the day, the castle isn't going to be strictly monitored, at least not until the night guards signed in on their duty,_ Arya thought to herself.

She also knew that it would be easy to get out of the castle grounds through the west wing, where her chamber was. She had discovered that if exiting through the laundry pool would be simple because not many guards watch over it anyway, and there are short walls to climb over. Granted, there were trees lining the wall, but if she just followed alongside it she would be heading down towards the Market with no problems.

Arya went back on her walk toward her chamber, and went over her route of escape in her head.

* * *

The thought of ditching the Temple of Time and just leaving Castletown crossed Arya's mind as she laid in her bed, but she couldn't find herself to fall through with it. She had been accepted into the castle surprisingly well, and was treated the same. She even made friends with the Lord Commander Link, who had become her mentor of sorts with the sword and other weaponry. Even Queen Zelda checked up on Arya from time to time, asking her about her activities and doing a few rounds of archery together. That, and she knew that the Queen wanted her to return to her home eventually, so Arya patiently waited for her safe trip home.

So when the sun began to fall, Arya was fully committed to venturing to the Temple of Time. She would exit through her carefully thought plan in the laundry pool, and after she learned what she wanted to in the Temple, she would quietly return to her chamber.

Upon exiting her room, she noticed that she had been right- there was no guard in sight. However, she still scurried to the laundry pool, which would be unoccupied at this time of day, in order to avoid suspicion.

Her plan worked perfectly. After she jumped the wall, she ran her fingers along the edge of it as she stomped through the trees until the front of the castle eventually revealed itself. She was way off to the western side, so it was easy enough to hide behind any shrubbery just in case someone was looking.

Arya trudged down a steep hill, and looked to see the castle gates closed behind her. She smiled to herself, happy to know that she had effortlessly left the castle unsupervised.

The rest of the journey to the temple was uneventful. The rest of Castletown had also begun to quiet down, and all of the shops displayed their closed signs. Nothing but stray dogs populated the streets.

Content with the silence, Arya stepped out of the alleyway and walked toward the massive stone temple in the back of the town. As she drew nearer, she could study the beautiful detail in the Temple's architect as well as admire its masonry.

 _This place puts the Great Sept to shame,_ she thought to herself.

Arya stopped at the stairs and stared at the building. Her heart skipped a beat, knowing she was about to enter a place dedicated to the mythical (and maybe truthful) past of Hyrule. As she ascended the steps, she noticed that the bar on the door was raised, so she strode over and pushed the door open.

Despite the darkness growing outside, the white marble throughout the temple lit the place up. It was practically empty, save for a long, red carpet cutting through the huge room. There were stairs on the other side of the temple from her that were similar to the stairs in the castle's throne room. The stairs led to a wall with a picture that looked like a sun with large rays extending from it. Above the sun wall, there were three dark grey triangles that all met to form an inner inverted triangle, which Arya recognized as the Triforce.

Before the stairs sat the black altar that Link had talked about. Also at the black altar was something that the interior of the Temple caused Arya to overlook. It was a young, high status woman with long, dark blonde hair. When she turned her head, Arya gazed her eyes upon none other than Queen Zelda.

"How did you get past the guards?" Zelda asked flatly.

Arya put her hands up. "Through the laundry pool. I'm sorry, Zelda, truly - I was reading this book that talked about this place and Link told me about it and I got too interested and I had to -"

"I was wondering when you'd get interested," Zelda cut Arya off from her rambling apology. "Most foreign people do, eventually."

Arya still did not move, not until Zelda waved her hand for her to join her.

"This is the Temple of Time," Zelda started. "Long ago, when the Golden Goddesses finished their labor in this world, they sent their spirits skyward, and left three golden triangles in their place that held the most magical power in Hyrule. That is known as the Triforce." Zelda extended her hand at the grey Triforce on the wall.

"Understanding that this power might be too much for any mortal, the Goddesses sealed it away in the Sacred Realm, and built this Temple as a door to the Realm, should anyone ever need access to it." She continued.

"But that access isn't so easy. Three certain keys are required, and only then will the door heed to the melody of the chosen one. What lies beyond the door is for the chosen hero to know."

"Do you know?" Arya stuttered.

Zelda paused. "I don't."

"Has anyone ever tried?"

"There is an old tale that an evil man entered the Sacred Realm and tried to obtain the Triforce," she answered. "But the power was too much for him, and he was only able to obtain the Triforce of Power - Din's power. The other two went off to find their true keepers."

"Which is why you have a piece right?" Arya asked. "Nayru's piece?"

"It could be," Zelda smiled as she looked at her hand. "I like to think its been passed down to me by my ancestors," she lied.

They both stood in silence and gazed at the sun wall.

"Zelda, what were you doing here?" Arya asked.

"Praying, young one. But now we should get back. Don't worry about sneaking through the laundry pool again, just come back with me."

* * *

The cold snow packed on the ground as a crisp breeze crept by, causing the falling snow to wisp around. The trees had been lined in it by now, and the open field looked frozen in time with a white blanket of snow.

The area surrounding Winterfell seemed lifeless, almost like the activity inside. Lifeless.

The villagers had been depressed and belittled since their great family - the Starks - had been taken down. Theon Greyjoy, Ned Stark's former ward, had betrayed the family and took over Winterfell. But his reign was short lived, as House Bolton acquired it easily from him.

Ramsay Bolton, now Lord of Winterfell, stood on the ramparts and watched the snow fall to the ground. He thought about all that had happened the night before.

Sansa, his wife, had escaped. He took her as a bride, hopeful to get a true born heir out of her, as she was a Stark. He didn't need her back because he loved her, he just wanted a son, and he didn't care how she was treated until that happened.

Theon, or as Ramsay calls him, Reek, had escaped with Sansa. Reek was Ramsay's favorite toy, from torturing him at the Dreadfort to making him watch as he turned Sansa into a woman. Ramsay assumed they escaped together, because they had known each other since they were young.

Myranda, Ramsay's lover in the bed, had also died. Probably at the hands of Reek and Sansa. He wasn't particularly upset about her death, perhaps he was more upset that he wouldn't be as satisfied anymore.

Ramsay stood with a flat face as he imagined the consequences of their escape. He imaged Reek hanging upside town on a cross as Ramsay flayed him himself, while the hounds nipped at his exposed insides. He imaged the loud and desperate screams Sansa would fill the castle with at night once she returned to him, music to his ears.

His anger was only slightly relieved when the House Umber turned in Rickon Stark to him. Since then, the Umbers and Boltons have shared a pact to hold Winterfell as long as possible.

He slyly smiled to himself, as his thoughts made him feel pleasant.

"My Lord," Ramsay turned as the silence was interrupted by one of his father's old attendants. "I bring you news."

Instead of replying, Ramsay continued to stare at the attendant until he realized he could speak again.

"The guard caught wind that Lady Bolton was traveling North, to her brother in the Night's Watch."

"You don't say," Ramsay said sarcastically. "We've already sent threats up there."

"Also," the attendant continued, "traveling merchants from Essos have informed several other houses that Arya Stark had been discovered in Braavos."

"And how are we going to get to Braavos to find Arya?" Ramsay asked, with the same sarcastic tone.

"She was seen running into the desert. The one that leads to the land the unknown."

Ramsay laughed loudly, knowing that anyone would ventured into the haunted wasteland would be consumed by the storm. Everyone in Westeros knew about Hyrule - of its beauty, riches, and people, but no one could ever get there without dying in the wasteland.

"I'm sure she's buried in six feet of sand, by now," Ramsay said.

"That's the thing, My Lord," the attendant said. "The haunted desert usually returns a body. Hers has not. Nevertheless, we have other proof." He handed Ramsay a small slip of paper.

It was a transaction slip sealed with Hyrule's seal. "How did you get this?"

The attendant smiled. "It was given to us. By a man who's spies intervened in Hyrule's business. She's there."

With the evidence in his hands, Ramsay's mind developed a twisted way to ruin the Stark empire once again. "Can we get through to Hyrule through this man?"

The attendant leaned in and whispered everything about the man to Ramsay. His name, age, occupation, and how he can get it done.

Ramsay smiled wickedly. "Good. Once we get her back, maybe we can get that beautiful Hylian Queen for a new toy, as well."

* * *

 **A/N:** I'm not totally satisfied with this chapter, so it might be up for editing eventually. But I want to thank everyone who's favorited or followed this story so far! It means a lot! And I appreciate it. I hope it keeps you interested :)


	6. Chapter 6

"For the last time, Arya. Please stop sticking your elbow out so far."

The hot sun shone over the land of Hyrule. It was a peaceful rest day throughout the country, which allowed its inhabitants to celebrate their goddesses. All were inside their homes preparing for the festivities. Save for Arya and Link, who were in the Knight's Garden. Link had finally accepted Arya's request for a rematch, eager to see if she has developed any better sword skill from her observations.

"It keeps my arm from going numb," Arya protested.

"When you hold your sword up to defend from a strike, it has to stay firm. When you stick your elbow out like that, the blade points down, and all it needs is momentum from my sword to push it down," Link responded.

"Of course it's going to push down, you're bigger than me," she replied.

"Just because I am bigger doesn't mean I am better."

"But you are better."

"Right now I am, for all you know," Link smiled. He looked around at the empty Garden, panting slightly at the sweat dripped down his face.

"It's so strange to see this place so empty," Arya said. "But I like that everyone here values their goddesses so much. It's good to do that."

"Yes it is," Link answered. "When I was still young, I used to spend this day celebrating with the Kokiri forest children. We would prepare a meal together, each one of us assigned a task. And then spent the evening singing folklore songs."

Arya smiled at him. "That sounds wonderful!"

Although, she couldn't help but feel sad for him, because she knew all about his parentage and how he ended up in the forest. He saw Saria, the forest children's 'leader', as his mother.

"Did it ever make you miss..." Arya eyed Link as she hesitated to finish her question.

"My family?" Link looked away from her. "They were my family." He smiled softly, knowing that he and Saria still shared that special connection after all these years. He never once regretted growing up in the forest, even if some of the others gave him a hard time.

"So now that you live in the castle, what do you do for this holiday?" Arya asked.

"Probably dine with Zelda and Impa, like I usually do."

Mentioning Zelda's name rang a bell in Arya's head. She hadn't seen or heard from Zelda in a few days now. Sometimes she would ask Impa what Zelda is up to, but the same response was that she was busy. And she must have been, she hadn't even accompanied Link to the Knight's training session during this time.

"What's Zelda been up to, anyway? I haven't heard from her in a few days," Arya asked.

"You're not the only one," Link said. He knew his response was a lie. He still continued his midnight escapades to Zelda's chamber, but that was their secret they always had to keep.

"She's been busy in council," Link continued.

"What does the council want from her that's kept her so busy these past few days?"

* * *

"My Queen, please. You mustn't make this harder," Lord Annais spoke in the council.

Zelda sat at the end of the table, slouching over with her hand holding up her head. She was insanely bored, after hearing the same argument come from the same council member for days now, she was ready to tear off Lord Annais' head.

"On the contrary, Lord Annais," she began. "You're making this harder. You're the one who insist I choose a noble to wed, when in reality I have no need to. I have been ruling solely for quite some time now, and I must say, my rule has not been tyrannical. Has it not?"

"It's not that you've been unruly, Queen Zelda," Marlene spoke in her gentle, assuring voice. "Traditionally, even the greatest queens had a king at her side. You should at least look into it."

"I have looked into it, Lady Marlene," Zelda answered. "I find no noble here worthy of the throne."

"Perhaps it is because your head is turned by that filthy forest man, at least, if the Castle rumors are true," Lord Annais chided her.

"He is not filthy! He's quite the gentleman to me. Much more than you are," Zelda scorned. She was getting tired of his remarks about Link.

The rumor that Link and Zelda shared a secret love was quite known throughout the castle, but nobody cared confront Zelda about it. Not like Annais just had, anyway. To be perfectly honest, no one confronted Zelda about it like that because no one seemed to mind it. Link was widely loved throughout the castle, the army ranks, and Hyrule. He was diplomatic while he was patriotic. He loved and protected all citizens, nobles and commoners alike. He could roam freely is Hyrule, praised by all who came across him. In Zelda's opinion, Link was perfectly fit to be a king, but all it took was one down vote on her council to make that impossible.

"Link is a fantastic young man," Lord Larson chimed in. "But unfortunately given the circumstances, we understand his ineligibility for kingship."

Zelda's eyes shifted down, and Lord Larson, with his compassionate heart, could feel Zelda's pain from across the table.

"Zelda, dear," he spoke to her. "Are you sure there are no nobles you think are eligible bachelors?"

Zelda shook her vigorously.

"Then I think we ought to discuss this another time," Marlene said.

"Thank you. You're dismissed," Zelda stated, not in an endearing tone. She rose from her seat and quickly strode for the door while Larson and Marlene watched her with saddened eyes.

Annais watched her too, with scornful eyes.

* * *

"This is outrageous, Impa!" Zelda cried relentlessly. "Why does he think I need to marry, why does he think Hyrule is desperate for an heir? Why can't I do this when I'm ready!"

"Shhhhh, my sweet girl," Impa soothed her. She sat next to her on her bed in her chamber and stroked her hair. "Everything will be okay, I promise."

"Why, Impa? Why must I marry someone for the sake of it? Why does Hyrule supposedly _need_ a king? Hyrule is perfect," Zelda sobbed.

"Yes Zelda, you have truthfully been the greatest Queen that Hyrule has seen in a long time. But to be perfectly honest with you, I don't think you're opposed to marriage because you don't want to marry; but because they won't allow you to marry who you love."

Zelda locked her gaze with Impa's. "What do you mean?" she asked precariously.

Impa smiled and laughed lightly. "Zelda," she said. "You love Link. You always have."

"Impa, what?"

"You have loved him since the day you met him, the day Ganondorf swore allegiance to your father," Impa said.

"Impa, you know that day never actually happened," Zelda said, rubbing her eyes. "At least, not in the altered years we have lived."

"Fine. You have loved him since the day he came to you to tell you of Hyrule's impending doom."

Zelda smiled.

"When Ganondorf conquered, he fought for you. Even when we sealed Ganondorf away, he still fought for you. To this day, he is still fighting for you. He loves you. And by the look in your eyes when you see him, I know you love him too," Impa continued.

The tears brimmed Zelda's eyes again. But not because of sadness, but because of happiness.

"He's always been a hero, hasn't he?" Zelda commented.

"In more ways than one," Impa answered, stroking Zelda's cheek. "Be calm, now, we need to prepare for our dinner. You should go find Link."

Zelda rose from her bed and reached a hand for the door.

"Find him before he climbs through your balcony tonight."

Zelda turned around to witness Impa's playful smile.

"You know about that?!" Zelda asked.

"I always have. I'm not opposed," she waved her hand.

Zelda smiled again, and exited her chamber.

* * *

Even though Link insisted that Arya could come to Zelda's dinner, she refused the invitation. She didn't want to feel intrusive, but by now, she was anything but intrusive to the Queen and her friends. Zelda had become one of Arya's most trustworthy companions. Everything that Arya valued now, she owed thanks to Zelda.

Zelda permitted her to attend service at the Temple of Time, to practice prayer to the Goddesses, even though she wasn't Hylian.

Zelda had given her many new things she valued, like a new bow with arrows. She also had a new array of wardrobe, made with the finest fabric.

Zelda had taught her the culture of Hylians, like their ancient language and religions.

Throughout her weeks at Hyrule, Arya was able to easily detect the romantic relationship between Link and Zelda. Even though they never addressed it in public, nor did they speak about it when asked, Arya could always tell they had a special feeling for each other. And that is why she chose to exclude herself from the dinner, because she wanted them to spend this holiday together without any worries.

Instead, she requested if she could venture down into the market because they were having a huge festival there today. Even though no one was legally required to work today, many vendors opened their business in the market for entertainment, like the shooting gallery and treasure chest shop.

Getting excited, Arya checked her appearance one last time before she left the castle. She donned green trousers, with a white shirt. Her boots were laced tight, and she put her hair up off her shoulders. She planned to wear a brown vest, but she had sent it to the laundry pool a few days earlier, but she knew that it would be clean by now if she went to retrieve it.

Shutting her door, Arya smiled at the guards as she skipped her way down to the laundry pool. A few of the laundresses were there, washing up some clothes that were left from the day earlier.

Without hesitating, Arya saw her vest hanging on the line and went to pull it off.

"I can't believe Zelda has to be so picky," one of the laundresses said.

"What do you mean?" the other asked.

"Once again, she was asked to choose a noble as a fiance, and once again, she denied to choose. I want to know what her deal is."

"Oh, she's fine. She's so young! She has all the time she needs."

The first laundress scoffed. "Yeah. All the time until the perfect harmony of Hyrule is unbalanced."

"Well, you know, her and the Lord Commander are very close. The council should just give up and allow her to marry him," the second laundress suggested.

The first rolled her eyes. "No. He leads the army. He's no politician in any way. He has no idea how to run a country."

The harsh words made Arya's heart flare, but she chose to remain silent. She kept fidgeting with the clothesline, wanting to hear more of this conversation.

"Who says he can't learn? Everyone loves him, I don't see why you're so against him."

"He's a dirty commoner. More so than myself. He was raised with those dirty fairy children. I was raised by innkeepers in the market. I don't see why he gets all this special attention. He's no better than the other captains."

Now Arya was angry. Listening to her words stirred up bravery that Arya didn't know she still had.

She stomped over to the laundresses. "Listen. Ser Link is more of a politician than you will ever be. He is skilled in the arts of the sword and of diplomacy. His honor is high like no one else's. Maybe that's why Zelda likes him so much. He's worked to get where he is, and no one, NO ONE is more honest and noble than he."

Arya and the laundress were locked in a firm gaze, while the other laundress watched amusedly. Apparently, Arya was saying what needed to be said.

"Next time you speak of Ser Link like this, I hope it tastes like blood in your mouth. Actually, I'll tell Zelda. And she will make sure there is blood in your mouth. Do you understand?" Arya asked, but the laundress didn't respond. Instead, she went back to her washing, and completely ignored Arya's presence.

Arya smiled, and laced up her vest as she left the laundry pool.

* * *

The festival was livelier than she had expected. Everywhere there were people dancing in the streets, as well as street vendors putting on performances. Multicolored lamps strung the buildings, and a warm fire in the center of the block, which provided a huge roast for all the attendants.

Arya spent most of her night browsing around the festival. She purchased a small Triforce charm necklace, and a wooden statue carved to look like the legendary Loftwing that upheld the Triforce on the Wingcrest, also known as the royal family crest.

But Arya spent most of her time in the shooting gallery, playing the game over and over again. Each time she got a perfect score, but she insisted to play again. The shopkeeper couldn't help but laugh, and other customers at the gallery were enticed by Arya's performance.

Eventually, the night progressed and the festivities were dying down. Arya didn't want anyone at the castle to worry about her, so she intended to quickly return to the castle.

She stepped briskly through the market square, avoiding any heavy traffic jams to the road the led to the castle. Before she turned onto the dirt path, someone tapped on her shoulder.

A little frightened, she turned around quickly and checked out a man wearing a white tank top and a red hat.

"I'm so sorry if I frightened you, miss," he stated softly. "But would you happen to be Arya Stark?"

Her eyes widened. "Yes!" she responded.

He smiled. "I thought you might be. Word has it that a Westerosi woman named Arya Stark was staying in the castle. So when I saw you heading for it, I figured it might be you. Forgive me for being rude. I am the Castletown postman, Ero," he bowed.

"Nice to meet you, Ero," Arya bowed her head. "If you don't mind me asking, why did you seek me out?"

"Oh!" Arya seemed to have reminded Ero of something. "A letter arrived for you. I was trying to find you, so that I could give it to you." Ero reached in his messenger bag and handed Arya a brown letter sealed with a red stamp.

 _A letter? Who in seven hells would know to send a letter here for me?_ she thought to herself.

"Have a good night," Ero bowed again, and went back into the square.

Arya headed back to the trail as she opened the letter.

* * *

"I think it's good that Impa knows. Now we don't have to worry about anyone finding out. I mean, she'll definitely keep it a secret," Zelda rambled to Link as they sat at the table in her chamber.

"I wish it didn't need to be a secret in the first place," Link admitted.

"As do I," Zelda answered solemnly. At this point, Link knew about the council's attempts to betroth her to someone. It's come up before, but she had been able to brush it off easily. But now, they have been more consistent with it than ever, and Zelda had sadly excused Link from the council meetings since.

"It's only a matter of time before they force you to cave in," he said. "Maybe we're not meant to be together, but it's so hard to picture you or myself with anyone else."

"Then maybe we are not politically meant to be together," Zelda smirked.

She stood up and ventured to her balcony. "Link."

He raised his head to her.

"I learned someone valuable from Impa today. She told me that you're a fighter, than you've never stopped fighting for me. Not even once."

Link raised his eyebrow and joined her on the balcony.

"So I made myself a promise. I won't stop fighting for you," she placed her hands on his chest. "I will not yield. I will not allow myself to marry some nonsense politician for the sake of tradition. If they want strong leaders, then the leaders will have to be united by the strongest force ever, love. Link, I love you. No one will replace you. No one will ever stand by my side instead of you. I'll make sure of it. I promise."

Link tucked some of Zelda's head behind her ear as he stared into her eyes. He knew her words were sincere, but he also knew her efforts would be to no avail. The council wouldn't settle for him, because he was a 'forest kid' with no royal or noble blood. However, he still believed in her.

Zelda's eyes glossed in the moonlight, and Link noticed a hint of tears on her eyelids. His heart melted at the sight of her, the woman he's loved his entire life. He leaned down and kissed her fervently, and she returned them just as passionately.

The two embraced each other there for quite some time before they were broken apart at the sound of the door bursting open.

Zelda stepped back, frightened that someone may have seen. Instead, there was a small girl dressed in a brown vest, whose face had grown so red from running to the castle and crying intensely.

"Arya?!" Zelda said, shocked. She rushed over to Arya, who stood still crying. "What's wrong?"

Both Link and Zelda were at Arya's sides, who couldn't catch a breath between her sobs. When she gave up on trying to speak, she simply handed Zelda a brown letter.

The letter was dressed to Arya Stark. It provided no location nor the sender's name. Sealed to the top of the paper, there was a red stamp. Upon examining it, Zelda noticed that the stamp depicted a man hanging upside down on an X-cross.

Link and Zelda looked at each other cautiously, while Arya's sobs still echoed in her chamber.

Zelda turned over the paper to read the letter.

 _Arya Stark,_

 _I regret to inform you that my wife, your sister, had fled our lovely home at Winterfell to seek out your brother, Jon. In my desperate searches for her, Lord Smalljon Umber found your brother, Rickon, out in the trees with a servant woman. His cries sound pleasant in the dungeon, and his direwolf's skin makes a lovely carpet in my chamber. Eager to help their brother, Sansa and Jon have returned, where they grieve in my dungeons. If you don't return to Winterfell, my hounds with maim your brothers, and I will allow all six thousand of my men to fuck your sister until there's nothing left of her. The choice is yours._

 _Signed,_

 _Lord Ramsay Bolton of Winterfell._

* * *

 **AN:** Ohhhh no, what do you think Ramsay wants from Arya? And how did he get his letter to her? Why is he lying about Jon and Sansa?

I hope you're enjoying this story! I sure am :) I thank you thank you thank you for all the feedback. It's awesome.


	7. Chapter 7

The room was quiet, except for Arya's cries, as Zelda turned the letter over in her hands.

All eyes were on the floor, and no one was ready to begin talking. Even Zelda hadn't let the whole letter sink in yet. The writer had been Ramsay of House Bolton, but Zelda didn't understand the magnitude of that. He had threatened Arya, he threatened her to return for the release of her family. Or else... they'd be fed to his dogs.

Arya had ceased her sobs into small, labored breaths. Link remained quiet as he had been, with his vivid blue eyes remaining on the floor. A hard lump swelled in Zelda's throat as she tried to find the words to say.

"A-Arya..." Zelda started. "Who is Ramsay?"

Arya took a few breaths in before she spoke. "I-I don't know for sure, but House Bolton is a family in the same region as my home. They have the Dreadfort. They're cruel, as my father had told us before."

Zelda nodded. "What do you think they would want from you and your family?"

Arya's eyes shifted down. "Lord Roose Bolton... Lord of the Dreadfort, he helped to kill my brother."

Zelda took that in. "And now, now he wants to harm the rest of your family?"

"I don't know why," Arya sniffled. "But it seems so."

Zelda could not think of anything else to say. She quietly turned away from Arya while folding the letter and sat it on her table, her eyes and Link's meeting as her hand moved away.

"His lovely home at Winterfell," Arya spoke, with new strength to her voice. "Lord Ramsay Bolton of Winterfell. He has my home."

Zelda and Link turned their attention to her.

"He's stolen from my family. He is part of the reason that my family suffers." She pressed her lips together as a scowl formed on her face. "I have to do something."

"Arya, please," Zelda chimed in. "Don't leave. Don't do anything rash."

"But something needs to be done! I cannot let this evil man parade around Winterfell while my family suffers in dark dungeons! I will not idly stand by. I need to do something, Zelda. Anything."

Zelda sighed. "What will you do, Arya? It is you against six thousand men, and apparently a pack of ravenous dogs."

"What will _we_ do."

Arya and Zelda broke their gazes at one another and turned to the third voice in the room. Link remained in his seat with his fist to his chin. He lifted his striking blue eyes up to the girls, with every trace of seriousness screaming from them.

Zelda led her shoulders fall, and another heavy sigh escaped from her. "Link. We cannot do anything. I cannot begin to describe all the problems we would create if we confronted Ramsay Bolton!"

"This man has done wrong," Link pushed on. "His actions cannot go unnoticed."

"Then why hasn't anyone from Westeros done anything about him?" Zelda asked.

Her response make Link laugh. "Either they trust him, or they fear him. Don't you get it Zelda?"

"He has six thousand men-"

"We have four hundred thousand."

Zelda waved her finger at his chin. "We cannot march our Army onto Winterfell. That is war, Link. Hyrule has not known peace like this in it's entire history. We are in no position to start a war now." Her tone changed from wariness to stern.

"But we have more than six thousand. All we need is an advantage." Link pushed on.

Zelda threw her head back and sarcastically laughed at Link. "All right, and how do you suppose we get there? Sail past Essos, and right under Lannister noses? I highly doubt that, Link. Don't be foolish. There is nothing we can do."

"You're forgetting what kind of kingdom you rule!" Link raised his voice. "This land has the highest abundance of magic the entire world has ever known or will ever know. What kind of Westerosi Army could ever have advantage over that?"

Zelda stared at him questioningly.

"Maybe you only think that Triforce Wielders can master this magic. But you do not realize even the lowliest of magical Hylians can use it."

Zelda smiled wryly. "So we take, what, ten thousand men? And let them throw magic in Bolton faces?"

Link let his facial expression fall. "We don't take them. We use magic to get them there."

* * *

"My Queen," Lord Larson spoke. "You must be crazy."

She, Link, Arya, and her council stood in the throne room. Zelda had finished discussing to the council about her plan to get Arya back to Winterfell and rid it of Ramsay Bolton.

Zelda waved her hands. "It's what we've promised to her. To take her back to her home, and to a safe one."

"Apparently Hyrule has to fight for the safe home first?" Lady Marlene asked.

"She's been here for too long. She is not Hylian. She doesn't belong here. Like I mentioned, it's the least we can do," Zelda begged.

"And what will she do when she gets there? Rule an entire region by herself?" Lord Larson asked.

The council snickered at his comment, which angered Zelda. She had only been a few years older than Arya when she became the queen of an entire country.

"Arya's brothers and her sister are being held captive by Ramsay. All four of them are perfectly capable of ruling their region together," Link answered calmly.

"Let me ask again," Lady Marlene spoke. "You three are going to travel there-"

"Four," Zelda interrupted. "We plan to ask Impa to accompany us."

"Fine," Lady Marlene continued. "You _four_ are going to travel there, all the way across Essos and the Narrow Sea, _by yourselves?_ "

The three of them looked at each other and nodded.

"And when you get there, you plan to use a teleportation device to get a selection of the army there, _if need be?"_

"Yes," Zelda said. "I plan to use a gift bestowed to my from the Great Fairies of Hyrule, handed to them by the Golden Goddesses themselves. _Farore si Ventea._ "

"Farore's Wind?!" Lord Larson repeated, rather excitedly. "Oh how interesting-"

His enthusiasm was cut short by Lady Marlene's piercing gaze. He cleared his throat and sat back.

Throughout this whole meeting, Lord Annais actually sat back quietly, for once. He had vigorously listened to Zelda's plan and finally took a deep breath in as if to grab everyone's attention. All eyes shifted on him as he set his eyes on Arya.

"Tell me about your eldest brother, little girl."

She looked at Link and Zelda, as she was afraid to speak to the councilman. The two shook their heads slowly to reassure her.

"My eldest brother, Jon Snow," she began. "Is my half-brother. He and I only share our father. I have not seen in him years. The last I knew of him, he was in the Night's Watch."

The other looked at each other confused.

"What's that?" Link asked.

"The Night's Watch? Oh, sorry. It's a crew of men at the northernmost border of Westeros. They protect us from possible invasions of the free folk," she spoke fast and embarrassed. Then she shifted her eyes downward. "He is brave. He is noble. And he sits in a dungeon, with the rest of my family."

After a long silence, Annais spoke up. "Has it ever crossed your mind that you may have been fooled?"

Zelda look up and him. "Fooled?"

"Yes, fooled," he repeated. "What if this Ramsay Bolton doesn't have Jon Snow? It seems that his other family members didn't accompany him to this Night's Watch," he paused, and looked at Arya for confirmation, who shook her head 'yes.' "And ultimately, how did Ramsay Bolton even know that Arya was in Hyrule?"

Zelda tilted her head. He got her there.

"All I know is this Lord is threatening this young girl," Zelda lifted her hand at Arya. "She has been in our care. We need to protect her. And I need a confirmation from my council. So?" She waited a few seconds. "Vote!"

The first to budge was Lady Marlene. "Well, my beautiful Queen, I worry about your safety. But I also agree that we must help this girl. You should go."

Zelda moved her eyes toward Lord Larson.

He threw his hands up. "What can I say. I've always thought you knew best. You should help the girl and her family. It would be the right thing to do."

She smiled, and raised her eyebrows up at Lord Annais.

 _I need a unanimous vote. Please._ She thought to herself.

"Queen Zelda, as your councilman of foreign affairs, I believe that it would be in your greatest interests to travel to Winterfell and deal with Ramsay Bolton," Annais spoke.

Her mouth dropped, and she gasped. Zelda could not believe that for once, after so many months, she finally received a unanimous vote from them. Although, Annais agreeing without too much thought was almost suspicious, but she had no time to worry about him.

She turned to Link and Arya, and they all exchanged smiles.

"But Zelda!"

Zelda turned around quickly to see Lady Marlene standing right in front of her.

"My Queen, I'm sorry. But I've forgot to ask. With you, Link, and Impa traveling to Winterfell, who will hold your throne while you are away?"

Zelda smiled. She had forgotten to mention that part, as well. However, she already found someone to fill in for her while she'd be away. Someone she knew had the experience of being a queen, or something of the sort.

And all it took to find the sort-of-queen was a quick melody on Zelda's family heirloom of an instrument.

As if on cue, the door swung upon and a finely toned women with red hair and tanned skin walked in. Her bright pink clothes contrasted from everyone's fall colors. After all, it was hot in the desert.

"Hello, council," Nabooru smiled. "We're gonna have fun."

* * *

The icy breeze of winter crept into the castle. But at this point, everyone was used to it.

It was another dark and cold day at Castle Black. However, something unthinkable had happened.

Just the night before, Jon Snow, the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, had been resurrected.

He was stabbed by his own brothers. Brothers he unfortunately had to hang for their crimes against him.

Now Jon was in his chamber, packing his belongings. Since he had truly died, he had been technically released of his vows from the Night's Watch, and he wished to leave.

But his departure was delayed slightly by the arrival of his sister, Sansa Stark.

Sansa had been fortunate enough to escape the Lannisters, but she had told Jon of all the terrible things that had happened to her when she returned to Winterfell.

She was married off to a Bolton, the house that had killed their brother and claimed themselves as Warden of the North. Ramsay, her new husband, was a sadistic psycho who enjoyed harming her every night. Theon, her father's old ward, had been one of Ramsay's victims as well. He had tortured Theon to the point of Theon's insanity, and now Theon took on a new personality Reek.

Luckily, that new personality faded quickly as Theon rose back through the surface. He had helped Sansa escape Winterfell; and then a woman named Brienne of Tarth, someone who had served her mother, brought her to Jon Snow.

Now, Sansa sat peacefully with her brother, Brienne, Brienne's companion Podrick, and Jon's friends Eddison and Tormund for a lunch.

One of the couriers of the Night's Watch entered and handed a letter to Jon. It had been sealed with red wax, and the Bolton sigil stamped into it.

Jon's heart rate rose as he read the letter:

 _To the Traitor and Bastard Jon Snow,_

 _You allowed thousands of Wildlings past the wall._

 _You have betrayed your own kind, you have betrayed the North._

 _Winterfell is mine, Bastard. Come and see._

 _Your brother Rickon is in my dungeon. His direwolf's skin is on my floor. Come and see._

 _I want my bride back. Send her to me and I will not trouble you or your Wildling lovers. Keep her from me and I will ride North and slaughter every Wildling man and woman and babe living under your protection._

A giant lump swelled in Jon's throat as he read the rest of the letter to himself. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his friend Tormund, a Wildling himself, swelling with anger.

"What does it say?" Sansa asked.

"Nothing," Jon responded quickly.

Without asking, Sansa tore the letter from his hands and finished reading.

 _You will watch as I skin them living. You will watch as my soldiers take turns raping your sister. You will watch as my dogs devour your wild little brother. Then, I will spoon your eyes from their sockets and let my dogs do the rest._

 _Come and see._

 _Ramsay Bolton. Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North._

"Warden of the North," she said. "His father's dead. Ramsay killed him. Jon. We have to fight and get Rickon back. We must."

Jon did not need her to convince him. He was already figuring out a plan in his head. They would go to every house in the North and ask for guidance.

And that was when his mind trailed off to his youngest sister Arya, and where she might be.

 _Arya,_ he thought to himself. _Be safe._

* * *

Despite the crisp in the fall air, the sun shone brightly over a new morning in Hyrule.

After Impa had anxiously agreed to travel with the three, they had retired to their chambers for a good rest before the morning. And now they all stood in the stables. Loading up horses with as minimal supplies as possible. The rest that they would need would be on a ship heading towards the free city Volantis, where the four would sail to Westeros.

Zelda checked her satchel for the two essential things she needed. First, the magical glass containing Farore's blessing. She wrapped it in a scarf and tucked it back in her satchel. Then, the Ocarina of Time, a small blue wind instrument that held magical powers. She placed in gently on top of the scarf.

She looked up at the rest of her group, and everyone seemed ready to go. Impa had dressed for the cold weather, donning dark blue pants with a matching dark blue tank top decorated with red Sheikah patterns. She had worn a cloak with a large, red Sheikah symbol on it as well.

Link had worn his usual green tunic with a long green hat, with his golden blonde hair hanging freely underneath it. He wore his thicker tan trousers with it, and the same dirty pair of brown boots. Zelda noticed that he had ditched his blue scarf and armor, and simply wore a plain black cloak.

Arya had put on new clothes that she had received, which were dark brown trousers and a blue shirt. Her brown boots were polished, and her hair was pulled back in a bun.

Zelda had risen earlier than usual and took the opportunity to dress differently than usual. She wore Hylian blue pants and a matching blue Hylian army uniform jacket with gold buttons the whole way down, and a black belt. Yes, like the Gossip Stones say, Queen Zelda is actually a tomboy; but this was all concealed by her heavy black cloak. Her hair lay flat down her back, but she had wrapped the front pieces of her hair with white ribbons like she typically did.

Her black boots shone from underneath her cloak as she approached her horse. Spirit, as she liked to call her, was a beautiful black horse who'd Zelda had owned her entire life. She was Zelda's trusty steed who never faltered.

Impa and Arya had mounted two other chestnut colored horses as Zelda mounted her own. Link's horse, Epona, always grazed in a different field as she preferred to be alone. He stood there, staring at Zelda as she turned Spirit towards him.

"Link, where is your 'four-legged friend' as you like to call her?" Zelda asked.

"You know Epona. She's my stubborn girl," he smiled, and motioned for Zelda to hand over the Ocarina of Time.

"A perfect match," Zelda muttered as she tossed it to him.

Link positioned his hands correctly and played a sweet, calming melody on the instrument. Impa shook her head and smiled.

But Arya was confused. "Why are you playing that? Get your horse-"

She was cut off by a loud whinny in the distance. To her right, a large, brilliant horse ran toward them.

Link held his arms out as the silver bay Clydesdale went into them. The horse, who Arya assumed was Epona, had already worn a saddle and Link hopped effortlessly on. The four rode out of Castletown early in the morning before the market came alive, so they left silently.

None of them spoke until they got out into Hyrule Field.

"That's much easier than sending a message," Arya said, referring to the Ocarina. "How convenient."

Zelda laughed. "Yes, maybe we should have sent a message to Lord Bolton like that. He would never know what was to come."

"He doesn't need any kind of message to know what's to come," Arya responded.

"What do you mean?"

"October has fallen upon us," she said. "And winter is coming."

* * *

 **AN:** Yes, this time I copied Ramsay's letter from the TV show.

I appreciate everyone who follows this story! And I hope you enjoy it! I have many (hopefully) exciting things to come!

\- TA


	8. Chapter 8

The blazing fire within the chamber illuminated the dark grey bricks with a bright red. The sparse room held no more than a large table with a flower vase, a floor mat, and an armchair where Ramsay Bolton sat menacingly. His eyes fixated on the fire, he thought of what's to come for his House. His army had just brutally defeated Stannis Baratheon's army, so their spirits were high. Ramsay's, however, were as dismal as always.

A cold breeze swept through the large window. The snow had begun to melt from the ground, but the air bit your skin like it was the dead of winter. Everyone in the North had grown used to the cold, though.

The heavy door creaked open and Ramsay turned his header to the newcomer, allowing them his attention. The Bolton courier stood behind the chair and bowed before he spoke.

"Lord Bolton," the courier formally said.

"What news have you brought?" Ramsay asked lowly.

"There have been rumors that your bride and her bastard brother are raising an army of Stark loyalists," he said. "Lord Smalljon heard from House Karstark."

"And how many fighters have they gathered?"

"Well, Jon Snow has approximately two-thousand Wildlings," the courier answered. "Along with House Mormont and a few other small houses in the North, he has less then three-thousand."

Ramsay smiled wickedly. "Our army just fought a battle and could still defeat three-thousand. Let them come."

The courier said nothing, and instead bowed before he made his leave. Ramsay raised his right hand and asked the courier to wait.

"Have you heard about the other Stark?" he asked.

"Lady Arya never responded," the courier said. "Perhaps the letter never reached her. Hyrule has no business with Westeros, after all."

"But I thought we had that asinine Hylian spy make sure the letter was delivered to Hyrule," Ramsay growled.

The courier's skin crawled at Ramsay's rising anger. "I'm sorry, my Lord. I'm sure she received it. I'm not sure what she has done." After this, Ramsay waved his hand and dismissed the courier, who scurried away from the chamber.

"So," Ramsay spoke to himself. "My dear Sansa has raised an army against me. Her and her bastard brother." He looked over at the window, the black cloak of night settled thick on the trees. Ramsay began to laugh. "I may have the little Stark, but I even threatened Miss Arya that I had Sansa and the bastard as well." Ramsay's smile grew as big and intimidating as the Cheshire Cat's. "And she still didn't respond. What a shame."

He picked up a wilted flower from the vase and examined it. "Perhaps she does receive my letter, and arrives just in time to see her beloved sister and bastard brother die." He pressed his smile into a firm line and tossed the flower into the fire.

* * *

"Hoods up. Tell no one who you are. We have a ship waiting on the far side of the city for us."

Link, Impa, Arya, and Zelda all walked in a group as they led their horses through the numerous ports of Volantis. Zelda had ordered a ship to sail before them so that it would positively be in Volantis before them. The group had to travel on land first because except for Lake Hylia, Hyrule was landlocked. And the fastest blue-water travel to Westeros was from Volantis.

The journey lasted about five days, and it felt like five days. They rode all day into most of the night. Zelda could tell everyone and their horses were getting tired. However, their journey would have lasted a week with numerous rest stops and long nights. Nevertheless, Zelda knew that traveling by ship was more relaxing than on horse, so they need not to worry.

The ports of Volantis were always busy with merchants buying and trading goods with importers. There were crowds of people waiting to take a ship out of the city; just as there were people getting off newly arrived ships. The group had hoped that they would blend in with all the bustling.

At the far end of the ports, Zelda saw a ship made from dark wood that donned a black sail. She knew it was their ship because she told the Captain to ditch the usual Hylian blue said with the Wingcrest sigil for an ordinary black sail, so as not to draw attention. She turned back to the rest of her group and instructed them to follow her lead. They weaved past many people on the clustered port decks. They caused more trouble than they originally intended due to their horses. Especially Epona, whose large body made a bigger obtrusion.

Looking down one of the streets, Arya saw a formidable crowd gathered around a woman wearing a blood-red dress. She was standing on a barrel so everyone around could see her. She was waving her arms around like a magician. She was speaking Valyrian so Arya could not understand what she was speaking. However, thanks to the Valyrian language book that was in the castle's library, she was able to pick up on a few words.

The woman in red spoke to her listeners for a while before pausing to raise her arms in the air.

" _Daenerys Jelmazmo hen Targario Lentrot_!"

 _Daenerys Stormborn of House... Targaryen?!_ Arya thought to herself. _There's a Targaryen that's still alive?_

The woman in red's sermon enticed Arya even more. Why was she speaking about a Targaryen? Arya was so lost in thoughts that Impa had to nudge her back to Volantis.

"Come, girl," Impa said. "We must get to our ship."

Arya nodded and picked up her speed to catch up with the rest of the group.

"My Queen!" a white-haired man with Hylian ears announced once the group reached the ship.

"Captain Lyron!" Zelda said with a finger over her lips. "Remember, we are trying to not be noticed."

"Oh yes! Right right," the man, who is now identified as Captain Lyron apologized.

Zelda smiled. Lyron has been part of the Hylian Fleet since he was Link's age. He skills at sea were always admirable, and he had been through many hardships for her father. In his later years he offered rides at sea for her father for traveling purposes. He was even the one to take Zelda to Westeros the first time.

Lyron opened a door that led the horses into the lower gallery of the ship. Then he led the group up to the main deck and back through to the upper gallery where they would be boarding for the second part of their journey.

After all was settled, Lyron and his men readied to set sail. He smiled and clapped his hands together eagerly. "All right, everyone! Let's set sail!"

* * *

Two days into the journey, Zelda found herself at the bow of the ship. She stared out into the ocean apprehensively, afraid of what might come.

This would be her first time back in Westeros. After she swore she would never go back.

And yet here she is. Sailing into Westeros with the rest of her army waiting to come through a magical portal for battle. Her heart arched at the thought of losing soldiers over a useless battle, but she knew she had to help Arya for her own sake.

"You look strange in pants," Link said to her from behind.

Zelda smirked. "Get over it. Laying low means not dressing like a princess."

"Have you ever heard that folk tale about a girl who took over a pirate ship?" Link asked. "That's you."

"Please."

"Where are your spirits today?" he asked again.

Zelda's eyes lowered. "I'm just scared, that's all."

"Scared for what?"

"Scared for my soldiers. Scared for myself being in the same country as a Lannister. Scared for you."

"You've never had a reason to be scared for me," Link assured.

"Not in the world that everyone knows," Zelda countered. "In the world we know, I have every reason to be scared for you."

"This isn't him. Ramsay Bolton could never be as terrible as him. Nothing will ever be like him, Zelda. Please don't be afraid."

She paused and took in what he had to say. "So, when we get there. What do we do?"

"We head for Winterfell, first," Link began. "Then we see the conditions. If they are as terrible as that letter claimed, then we will send in our troops and battle."

"You know, if we want to set her family free, then Ramsay Bolton has to die, right?" Zelda asked.

"I know, I would have no trouble swinging the sword," he said.

Link shrugged. "Look, I brought something for you." He took a long bag off his back and opened it to reveal the contents. Inside was a golden bow, with intricate designs of lace on it. There were also arrows whose heads had been dipped in gold.

"My bow!" Zelda exclaimed. "Oh goddesses, I completely forgot about it! How did you remember?" She smiled.

"Because I knew you would forget," Link smiled back.

Zelda let out a breathy laugh and moved in to embrace Link fiercely. She slung the bow over her chest as well as the arrow quiver. She had always been savvy with a bow and arrow; and now she was relieved to have some sort of defense.

"We will fight... together?" Link asked, extending his hand.

"Together," Zelda promised as she took his hand.

* * *

The rest of the sail to Westeros passed uneventfully and finally the ship had docked in the foreign land. The crisp air sent chills through Zelda's blood as she pulled her cloak around her arms.

The crew took their first step onto Westerosi soil together.

 _This..._ Zelda thought. _This is the show._

Their horses were quickly taken out of the ship, and the four made haste for Winterfell immediately.

* * *

 **AN:** Sorry it is so short, but I didn't want to include any other events in this chapter. And sorry I haven't updated in a while for those who have been waiting. I've been so busy. But again, thank you to everyone who gives me feedback on this story! It inspires me. Getting excited for what's to come!

\- TA


	9. Chapter 9

"Just a little longer."

By now, Zelda and the gang were ready to succumb to the cold. Icy air seeped through their boots, and their veins felt frozen. Their hands were so cold they could barely move them. Link had donned his scarf again to endure the weather. Nevertheless, they continued to trudge on for the sake of their journey.

"Is it always like this, Arya?" Zelda asked, taking her hands off her horse's reins to rub them together.

"Usually," she replied. Her hot breath formed a cloud in the cold air. "But we are not weak. Families of the North have adapted to the harshest winters. We can survive no matter what our conditions."

"Even locked in dungeons?" Zelda looked over curiously.

Arya's eyes fell to the ground. Zelda felt Link's hot gaze on her body. "I'm sorry," she said, for Link's scold prompted her.

"We will save them," Impa assured her. Her piercing Sheikah red eyes fixated on Arya's slouched body.

But there was no response. Arya rode on, allowing the doubt to consume her thoughts. Silence filled the crisp air around them as the hooves of the horses pushed the snow into the ground.

They continued on while the trees began to blend with one another. Everything began to look the same, and everyone was losing sense of direction as they grew more weary.

However, a peculiar sound brought them back to their senses. Epona pulled on her reins and whinnied loudly.

It was a sharp, foreign sound. One that would not normally be made in a forest. To Link, it sounded like the noise when the High Knights of Hyrule took their weaponry off the walls of the Garden. It also sounded like the noise when the maids in the kitchen dumped the silverware into one cleaning pot.

He dismounted from his horse and walked further away from the group to investigate. He walks towards the noise, but found no culprit. He stared at the direction of the noise; and eventually, he saw a long line of bodies moving towards him.

The noise had been exactly what he thought it sounded like. Metal clanging together.

When the bodies became more clear, it was revealed that they were wearing bright silver armor; the brightest knights that Link had ever seen. Bright blue banners hung over them, and the banners depicted a white bird in flight.

"It's an army," he said, reaching for his sword on his back.

Everyone turned to face the same direction as Link. Zelda and Arya stared at the army cautiously while Impa reached for a pair of ring daggers attached to her legs. An army of what seemed like twenty thousand stood before them. They waited for the army to approach them; but like an illusion, they never came.

The noise had stopped.

The army had stopped.

A few moments passed, and three new figures appeared in front of the army.

The first was a man wearing silver armor underneath a long white cloak. The second was another man, he was younger and dressed in all black. The third was a woman, wearing green with a fur coat, and bright red hair.

Arya stared at the woman with an open mouth.

Link, Zelda, and Impa stood by carefully. They were unsure if the army had seen them and planned an attacked. Link tightened his grasp on his sword and eyed down the army.

"Sansa!" Arya screamed.

The woman with red hair whipped her head around. She was too far away to determine any other kind of reaction. Arya kicked her horse into full speed and surprised the rest of her group.

"Arya!" Zelda called after her. Link ran back and mounted Epona again, and quickly took off after Arya. Zelda and Impa followed him.

Arya had a head start on the rest of them; but as they drew closer, they could see that the woman was running after Arya. Neither the other men nor the army were making a move.

When they were close enough, Arya hopped off her horse and ran into a fierce embrace with the woman. Link, Zelda, and Impa caught up after a few moments and watched as the two women kneeled and hugged each other with tears streaming down their faces.

The other men came over to the sight. The man in black was smiling wildly while the man with armor studied the scene.

"Oh, Arya, my sister. You're alive!" The woman with red hair pulled back and looked Arya in the face. "How did you escape? Where did you go? Why didn't you come back?"

"A man named Yoren grabbed me and took me out of King's Landing," Arya answered, panting to keep up with her sobs. "Do you remember the Hound? He tried to get me back to mother for ransom but... he was a little too late..." she trailed off.

The woman, who was now revealed to be Arya's sister Sansa, shook her head and allowed more tears to fall. "I was so worried about you."

The two hugged each other again, and all watched the tearful moment in peaceful silence. Zelda was happy that Arya had found family again. But why wasn't Sansa in the dungeon with Jon like Ramsay had said? Did this army get her out? If so, what happened to her brothers? Zelda had to know.

"Who are these people?" Zelda called out to Sansa.

Zelda's foreign voice and break of silence surprised her, and she hesitated to answer. She turned her head and looked at the men.

"I am Lord Petyr Baelish," the man in black spoke. He waived a hand to the man in the armor. "This is Lord Yohn Royce. Together, we lead the Knights of the Vale." He now motioned his hand behind him.

"Why do you have Sansa?" Link asked this time.

"I wrote to them, after I escaped the death house of the Boltons and reunited with Jon," Sansa answered him.

"So if you're with them, then where is Jon?" Zelda inquired.

She looked at Lord Baelish and Lord Royce. "With his army. He is going to try to take back our ancestral home in battle."

"In battle?" Zelda wrinkled her eyebrows. "I thought you two were locked in Ramsay's dungeon along with another brother of yours."

"Where did you hear that?" Sansa asked.

"Ramsay wrote to me," Arya answered.

"Ramsay?! He wrote to you?" Sansa asked shockingly.

Zelda dismounted from her horse and reached into her leather bag. She pulled out the wrinkled letter and handed it over to Sansa.

She took a minute to read the letter.

"This is all lies," Sansa said flatly. "Though he hurt me and tortured me in ways I hate to think of, he never threw me or Jon in the dungeons. However... he does have Rickon."

"Ramsay has Rickon? How?" Arya asked.

"Some of his scouts found him in the woods," Sansa answered sullenly. "But that's why Jon is going into battle. To save Rickon and take back what rightfully belongs to our family."

"His too," Arya added.

Sansa nodded her head. "I know, I agree."

"How many numbers does he have?" Link asked.

"Under three thousand," Sansa said.

"Against Ramsay's six thousand?" Zelda joined in.

"I know," Sansa answered. "It's not enough. He'll never win. That's why I reached out to these two. I knew they could help us. But Jon doesn't know I'm here with them."

"All of you plan on going into battle?" Impa asked.

"If that's what it takes, and it will." Sansa said.

A few moments went by before Zelda broke the silence. "Well, we set out for Winterfell after we received the letter. To save you. As you might have heard, Hyrule is a place of magical inhabitants. We have an army of ten thousand waiting to strike beyond these magical portals." Zelda brought out the Farore's Wind crystals.

"Hyrule? Who are you?" Sansa asked.

"Sansa, this is Queen Zelda of Hyrule," Arya told her. She pointed at Link. "That is the Lord Commander of the Hylian Army, his name is Link. And that's Impa. She is a guardian of the royal family, and Zelda's most trusted protector."

Zelda held out her hand to shake Sansa's. Sansa took it cautiously.

"We're here to help. I suspect that's why there here, too," Zelda shifted her eyes towards the army. "What can we do?" She met with Sansa's eyes.

The two stared each other down until small smiles spread across their faces.

* * *

"Here they come," Ser Davos whispered.

Jon couldn't hear him over the beating of his own heart. He and his army stood at the bottom of the hill. They were tired and scared of the battle that lay before them, the battle of a lifetime.

Tormund stood next to Jon and Ser Davos. They watched as the Boltons made their formations. After what seemed like forever, Ramsay appeared on a horse in the middle of his ranks, while Rickon trailed tied to a rope behind him.

Ramsay pulled Rickon to the front, far enough for Jon to clearly see them. Ramsay raised a knife into the air.

Jon's heart intensified. He hopped off his horse and strode a few steps out from his army.

He left the knife in the air for a few seconds before he lowered it to cut the rope around Rickon's hands. He put the knife away and put his hands on Rickon's shoulders. He seemed to have a conversation with Rickon before the young Stark began to walk down the hill.

Rickon looked back at Ramsay and started running. Jon felt relieved for a split second, until he saw a Bolton soldier hand Ramsay a bow with arrows.

Panick rushed in Jon's mind, and he mounted on his horse and took off at full speed. He watched as Ramsay fired arrow after arrow, missing Rickon every time. Waves of relief flew through him as every arrow pierced the ground.

The space between Rickon and Jon was about to close. Jon lowered his arm so that he could hoist Rickon up and take him back. Warm rushes of adrenaline and hopefulness pulsed within Jon like wildfire, and he was seconds away from reuniting with his littlest brother.

Any sense of warmth and happiness disappeared into cold and darkness as Ramsay's final arrow pierced Rickon's heart.

His body was numb. He choked on the air around him, and everything went silent as he watched his innocent brother die.

"Knock!" Ramsay's terrifying shriek rang through Jon's sadness. And that was when Jon realized something.

 _I am the only one within the archer's range._

He panicked for a hot second, and then he was reminded of a promise he made to himself. That throughout this battle, he would keep going. And that's what he did. He mounted his horse again, and kept going.

He had just made it out of the way before Bolton arrows rained down on the hill. Several arrows hit Rickon again, and Jon did not look back at his lifeless brother.

Jon focused on nothing but continuing forward. He held his breath as more arrows came down on him.

Halfway through the journey to the Boltons, arrows had pierced his horse, and he slammed on the ground. He struggled to stand back up. When Jon could finally see what was ahead of him again, he was overcome with another wave of grief.

The entire army was charging at him.

Jon looked at the ground, and accepted his fate. He unfastened his sword's sheath from his belt and stood with Longclaw, waiting for the army to get to him. The intensity slowed down the army, and every step made Jon more defiant. He was ready, no matter what happens.

Just as the first blade of a Bolton soldier pointed at him, he was hit by a force from behind him. His army had followed him up the hill unbeknownst to him. Around him was an all out bloodbath. There were horses slamming into each other and trampling on other men. They were men cutting each other down.

Jon refused to let any emotion control him. He was completely numb.

He trudged on with his men, cutting through every Bolton soldier like a savage animal. He fought hard, and no one stood a chance against him.

The battle went on like this. Eventually, piles of dead bodies began to make an obtrusion on the battle field. All soldiers, Boltons and Stark loyalists alike, were climbing over the bodies with all their strength. Arrows from the Boltons continued to rain on them, some were even killing their own.

All of the fighters stayed in one, centralized place, and then a massive wave of Bolton soldiers came in with tall spears and body shields. They circled around the tired soldiers and trapped them in a small space.

They were crushing each other. Some were even forced to the ground and suffocated.

The Bolton soldiers pointed their spears at the others and stabbed as many as they could before they closed in tighter. Jon was knocked to the ground and nearly suffocated himself. It took him minutes to fight his way back up and catch his breath. He looked over all the heads and saw Tormund stabbing Lord Smalljon Umber to death.

A faint, horn-like sound billowed over the trees. It sounded like a sweet illusion. Like a sign of peace. In the middle of all the madness, the horn created a distraction from the death circle.

Although it seemed imaginary, the horn didn't stop.

Jon looked around to the best of his abilities, until he saw a huge army, donned with silver armor, charging down a hillside towards the circle. Their banners were blue with the sigil of House Arryn.

One man stood out to him, a man wearing green clothes with a blue scarf. He charged down with the Arryn soldiers in the front of the ranks.

The Arryns easily broke through the Bolton spearmen and cut them down just like Jon's tired army had done earlier. They kept pushing through the open the space for all the other men who lay on the ground suffocating.

Jon looked back on the silver soldiers who were still coming down the hill. There, he saw six people mounted on horses who were with the Arryns. One he recognized as his sister Sansa. The other, although he had not seen her in a long time, he knew was no other than his sister Arya.

He was overcome with happiness to see Arya alive. Throughout his younger years in Winterfell, it was only Arya who made him feel so loved and accepted. While he felt defeated over the loss of Rickon, seeing Arya alive felt like a victory.

"Jon!" He heard a scream.

He looked around frantically and saw the man in green in front of him, mounted on an enormous horse with white hair and a brown body. The man had blonde hair, and wielded a sword that was far too large for a man's of his size, and a blue shield with three golden triangles that met to form an inverted triangle on the inside. Also on the shield was a red hieroglyphic style bird holding up the triangles.

"Jon," the man said again. "We can make work of the rest of the soldiers here. Take whoever you can and siege!"

Jon didn't need to ask questions. He ran up the hillside more and saw Ramsay retreating with a few other soldiers. Tormund and Wun-Wun, the wildling giant, stood at his side and ran towards Ramsay with him.

Back on the other hillside, the girls watched Jon and his two friends chase after Ramsay unsuccessfully.

"Three is not enough for siege," Arya said frustratingly.

Unsuspectingly, Zelda kicked her horse who took off towards Jon. The girls were shocked, but none were prepared to go after her. Even Impa knew not to speak out against Zelda's wishes. While she was like the only parent Zelda had, she knew that Zelda wouldn't do something unless she knew it was the right thing to do. Impa hoped Zelda had not been mistaken this time.

Jon and his friends could see the gates into Winterfell clear as day. They charged to the them, and Jon knew in his mind that Wun-Wun could break the door down. However, they were pushed back by a couple archers who were up on the ramparts.

Jon eyed them down and prepared to take a leap of faith. He kept his eye on one archer, who already had his arrow knocked. Just as he put his foot out to take his first step, that archer was struck by an arrow. Jon turned his head to the direction that the arrow came from and saw a beautiful woman, wielding a golden bow and dressed in man's clothes, on a black horse. She was heading straight for him.

She didn't stop firing arrows. Every arrow she released struck another Bolton archer. She did this until all visible enemy archers were down.

Her horse had reached them, and Jon took a closer look at her beauty.

"Stay back," she said as she swung off her horse. She slung her bow around her back and reached into a leather bag she had on her shoulder. She pulled out a white crystal with a glowing green light in the center, and threw it on the ground. She walked away as the shattered crystal spread on the ground, and the green light formed a large circle of energy.

She did this twice more with other crystals, and they had the same reaction. Three green circles stood before them, and within seconds, more soldiers poured out of them.

A magical portal. The thought blew Jon's mind. But he had no time to think.

"Hylians! Siege this castle in the name of Stark! Break down the walls and defeat the men within!" She screamed.

The soldiers, who carried banners familiar to the green man's shield, effortless pushed through the gates and opened up Winterfell. Somehow, they knew who Jon was and allowed him to run through them into the village.

These soldiers poured into the small area, and they cut through every soldier they saw. They were strong and brave men, and now no Bolton stood a chance against them.

Jon watched as the foreign army tore down any Bolton intrusion, and felt confident in the victory of the battle.

Just then, an arrow went through Wun-Wun's eye, and the giant fell to the ground.

Jon looked at the culprit, who was none other than Ramsay Bolton.

"You suggest one on one combat. I accept your offer," he announced.

Tormund looked at Jon. And out of the corner of his eyes, he saw the young woman panting for air as she stared at him, too.

Ramsay knocked another arrow and aimed it at Jon.

Jon scooped up a shield on the ground and used it to stop the arrow. He marched over to Ramsay who released another arrow. But again, Jon stopped it with the shield. A third arrow flew, and it was again stopped by Jon. Jon was close enough to Ramsay to knock him down and relentlessly strike him.

Jon threw punches wildly. He punched Ramsay as if it would bring Rickon back from death. As if it would save Sansa from all her misery. As if it would erase all the bloodshed that just occurred.

Time went by, and everyone, including Tormund and the woman, watched as Jon beat Ramsay Bolton relentlessly. However, he only stopped when he noticed that Sansa and Arya were watching, as well.

He looked at them for a few moments before releasing Ramsay from his grasp.

"Take him away," Jon said to no one in particular, and walked away from the scene.

* * *

Hours later, while the three armies worked to clean up the mess of Winterfell, Sansa had inquired from Jon that they had locked up Ramsay in with his dogs. It was the middle of the night by now, and Sansa watched Ramsay's blood drip from outside the cage.

Eventually he came to and actually greeted her. "Why, hello Sansa. It looks like our time is coming to an end. But that's doesn't matter. I'm part of you now."

Sansa stared at him defiantly. "Your words will disappear. Your name will disappear. Your house will disappear. All memory of you will disappear."

Even to his last breath, Ramsay was a psychological disaster and still trying to hurt other people.

As if on cue, Ramsay's ravenous dogs walked over to him and smelled his fresh blood.

"My dogs wouldn't hurt me," he snarled.

"You said so yourself, you haven't fed them in seven days," she responded.

"Their loyal beasts," he retorted.

"They were," Sansa spoke back calmly. "Now they're starving."

The dogs continued to smell his blood, while he tried to get them to shoo away. His attempts were unsuccessful, and the first dog struck his face. The dogs ripped apart his skull and let the blood wash over his clothes.

Ramsay had finally been defeated. And ultimately, Ramsay's death and the extinction of House Bolton with it had avenged her brother Robb and her mother Catelyn.

Satisfied with the sight, Sansa headed back to the castle with a small smile on her lips. In the main outdoor area, something caught the corner of her eye. She turned around quickly.

Seeing Zelda up on a balcony had frightened her, but she had no reason to be scared. She stared at Sansa pleasantly, and it seemed like she knew what had just happened.

The same smile that spread of Sansa's face was now on Zelda's, and she turned quietly back to the door that would take her to the guest chamber.

Sansa reflected on the Queen's cooperation with her. Even though Zelda is royalty, she was totally unlike the other royalty that Sansa had experienced. She was kind and forgiving; and Zelda's persona had restored Sansa's belief in a generous rule.

Sansa smiled to herself, and went off to her own chamber.

* * *

 **A/N:** So this was long. Hope it was worth the wait for those who have been anticipating it. I went with the battle as it went in the show, but I added Link and Zelda into the mixture. Hope everyone liked it and of course let me know what you think!

\- TA


	10. Chapter 10

"I don't care about strength, House Arryn will not march with wildlings!" Lord Royce shouted in the crowded hall in Winterfell. Several days had passed since the glorious battle and most of the clean up had been completed. All that remained were questions. Now that the Boltons had been dealt with, how would the remaining Houses carry on with the war? How would Winterfell be ruled?

The questions were answered in a way that, to say the least, were harsh. None of the lords were happy about the absence of Bran Stark, one of the younger sons of Ned Stark. He is traditionally the true heir to Winterfell, because he is true-born of Ned Stark, unlike Jon Snow. But the only options they currently had were Jon Snow, a bastard, and Sansa Stark, a woman.

The dining hall was packed with many lords of several houses in the North, even the ones that chose not to fight with Jon Snow for Winterfell. The arguing lasted for hours, and the look on Jon's face made it seem so. He sat with Sansa and Arya at the front of the hall. Jon Snow had also been delighted to see his sister Arya again, but still felt unsure of her circumstances. He wanted to know how she got into the strange land of Hyrule, and how she managed to befriend the rulers. The arrival of the Hylian Army at Winterfell was quite surprising but he was pleased nonetheless for their fantastic aid. He hadn't a chance to introduce himself to the Queen of Hyrule but he watched her curiously from a distance almost every chance he could get.

While most of the lords sat at the long tables, Zelda and Link stood quietly by a window. They did not contribute to the arguing but Zelda listened intensely and so did Link, but he did not hide his facial expressions of disgust. Arya laughed inconspicuously at his openly rejecting attitude.

More shouting and yelling bounced back at each other through the halls until a young girl, definitely younger than Arya, stood up and fiercely stared down every lord in their seats. She told them that her house knows no king in the North but the king named Stark. She also said she did not care if Jon was a bastard, he was still the blood of Ned Stark and that's all that matters. Her speech was touching, and it reached many of the lords whom Zelda saw changed their minds by the looks on their faces.

"Aye," Lord Royce spoke again. "But what about those two back there?" he pointed his finger at Zelda and Link. Zelda's face lifted with intrigue.

"Those two are dangerous. Their magic is unlike anything the Seven Kingdoms has ever seen. Hell, their army appeared through a magic circle!" Royce continued.

"They saved us," Jon countered. He lifted his eyes to Zelda. "But why did your army arrive like that?" he asked.

Zelda's eyes shifted to the floor and she smiled. "All we wanted to do was to give back your sister. But we were not going to give her back to a hostile environment. We wanted to be prepared if we needed so. I suppose you wouldn't march across kingdoms with an army of ten-thousand, either," she said.

"You have a point," Jon agreed.

"And I wouldn't complain about them," Tormund, the red-headed wildling spoke up. "I saw that blonde boy. He cut through Bolton soldiers on that enormous horse like butter."

Zelda looked at Link and smiled.

"The Hylians would be good friends," Tormund spoke to Jon. "Someone that a king in the North would be glad to know."

"But that's only if the Queen accepts," Jon raised his eyebrows to Zelda.

"Why would you trust someone only by a word?" Lord Royce persisted. "This woman rules a country of millions. I know about them. From the little children in their forest to the warriors in their desert. Not even the strongest man in Westeros is a match for a sickly woman in Hyrule. This is a kingdom that could burn ours to the ground. Easily!" he scoffed.

"Have I given you any reason not to trust me?" Zelda argued.

"We could just write a treaty with the North and Hyrule," Sansa offered.

Arguments broke out in the hall again, and Zelda let out a breath of defeat. She looked at the Starks at the front of the room helplessly. All the noise around her began to slur into an inaudible blur until one phrase from the young girl entered her mind.

"You could get married."

The hall was silent. The declaration shocked everyone. No one dared to say anything while Jon and Zelda were both surprised by the suggestion.

"W-What?" Zelda choked out.

"Yes," the young girl, who was Lyanna Mormont, shook her head.

"You're suggesting that Zelda and I get married?" Jon asked her.

She shook her head again.

"That's impossible," Zelda tried to fight. "Traditions are much different in Hyrule, I cannot just-"

"It's not a bad idea," Lord Royce spoke up once again. "Records say Hyrule has no king."

"But all of you were just about to call Jon Snow your king!" Zelda shouted and made her way towards the center of the hall.

"Jon Snow will be our king," he declared. "As well as Hyrule's. You're the Queen, Miss Zelda. Think of it like alliance."

"You want me to marry Jon Snow and ally with a faraway and foreign land to my own?" Zelda asked. "But who will remain to rule here? And who will remain in Hyrule to rule? Jon and I cannot be in two places at once."

"Lord Bran Stark is the true heir to Winterfell. He can rule here while Jon rules with you."

 _If I had my way, Link would be king._ Zelda thought to herself. In a way it felt like the lords were sending off Jon because he was a bastard, and bastards have no place in their traditions. However, it was also another way for them to secure an alliance with Hyrule. And what was in it for her? Hyrule did not seem to benefit from this agreement at all.

"What's in it for me?" she asked.

"Why, you'll have a king!" Lord Royce exclaimed.

She shifted her eyes at Link, who had been watching with sad eyes. The thought of losing Zelda to some diplomatic agreement shook him to his bones and heartbreak covered his face. And the honest truth was that she felt the same way, and it killed her knowing that she could never admit it.

Zelda pondered for just a moment until she found the right words to say.

"Here are my terms of agreement," she started. "For now, Hyrule and the North as you call it with form an alliance under a treaty with Jon Snow as King in the North. This will operate under a year's time while I consider a marriage pact. The North has to prove to me why this marriage would be a benefit for both of our kingdoms. After a year I will declare my answer depending on what I observe. Agreed?"

"Agreed," Jon Snow said. His eager agreement made it seem like he was not enthusiastic about marriage, either.

"Agreed," Lord Royce said.

"Agreed," Sansa said.

"Agreed," Arya followed.

"Agreed," Lyanna Mormont joined in as well.

The rest of the lords joined in with a chorus of 'agreed' until every person had officially recognized the deal.

"House Arryn will fight against the Iron Throne with the King in the North who's name is Jon Snow!" Lord Royce shouted as he shoved his sword into the wood.

"The Free Folk fight against the royal fucks!" Tormund shouted.

A few other lords joined in and raised their swords to the air.

"The King in the North!" they shouted. "The King in the North!"

Zelda and Jon met eyes during the ovation. She smiled, and slightly nodded her head once.

* * *

A bright day in King's Landing. The shining sun made the Red Keep look like a mountain of gold.

The bright mood, as usual, did not transfer into the castle. Today would be another day for a council meeting of King Tommen Baratheon's. Most of the meetings had become boring and dry to everyone, now that the war had died down with the death of Robb Stark.

The councilmen waited for Tommen in the small room. When he entered, they all stood up and waited for him to ask them to sit. As they all settled in their seats, his mother, Cersei Lannister, followed in behind him.

As Cersei's anger ripened throughout the years she became less like a lion and more like a snake. Vengeful rather than valiant and conniving rather than courageous. Her rule was venomous rather than just. She was as evil as she looked.

Her soul had blackened far worse since the death of her beloved son, Joffrey. She was meaner, she was more demanding, and she was more than happy to see anyone suffer in her hands. But no one in the Red Keep dared to oppose her. Instead, they smiled and acted like nothing was wrong.

"Good morning," one of the councilmen stared. "Today we speak of unsettling news."

"What is it?" Tommen asked.

"It concerns our friends in the North. It seems that the Boltons have been defeated, and House Stark has reclaimed their ancestral home with the aid of House Arryn. Lady Sansa betrayed her husband to assist her bastard brother in the victory," he spoke.

"Impossible. House Stark is nearly annihilated," Tommen answered.

"It seems that the bastard Jon Snow befriended thousands of wildlings during his watch on the Wall. Maybe that's how it became possible. Also, House Arryn aided in defeating the Boltons," the councilmen spoke again.

"So House Arryn has decided to go against the royal house?" Cersei asked.

"Perhaps," the councilman answered. "Though it is unclear whether the bastard will rebel like his half-brother."

"I see," she said.

"The most unsettling news of it all," the councilman changed his tone. "Is that another army aided in favor of Stark. And it was no army of Westeros."

"Who was it?" Tommen asked.

The councilman hesitated to answer. "The Kingdom of Hyrule," he said. "Their Queen was spotted with Lady Arya Stark."

"Their Queen?" Cersei hissed. "Hyrule only knows a Queen?"

"Aye," the councilman said.

Cersei knew that could only mean one thing. Her father was dead, and Zelda is the sole ruler of her vast kingdom.

"Well," she smiled. "Maybe that's enough for me today." Without another word, Cersei got up and rushed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

* * *

Sansa had spend the rest of the afternoon walking around Winterfell. It was finally her chance to remember what it all looked like when she was young. Now that all traces of war had left, and all traces of House Bolton had left, she could finally feel happy about where she was.

She strolled around in the streets until she decided to go on the ramparts and look at the forests. She marched up the steps and was frightened because she wasn't expecting someone else to be there.

Queen Zelda herself sat on the cold stone, overlooking the forests. She smiled peacefully and looked at Sansa.

"I'm sorry, your Grace," Sansa said sheepishly. "I'll leave-"

"That's all right. Please, stay," Zelda said. "And please call me Zelda."

They sat together in the cold air for a few minutes before Zelda broke the silence. "Are you glad to be back in your home?"

"I'm glad to be back in my home as I know it," Sansa answered.

"I'm sure it must have been hard for you."

She nodded her head.

"So where did you go?" Zelda asked. "Why couldn't you come back?"

"I went to King's Landing with my dad. The King, Robert Baratheon at the time, he was to make my dad his hand, and I was to marry his son, Joffrey-"

"You were supposed to marry Joffrey?!" Zelda exclaimed.

"Yes," Sansa stuttered. "Perhaps you know him?"

"Know him?" Zelda laughed. "They tried to betroth me to him, as well!"

"Really?" Sansa asked.

"Yes," Zelda answered. "I spent some time in King's Landing, myself."

"And what happened?"

"My father got me out of there and away from them as fast as possible. Robert was fine, and so were the younger children, but Joffrey and his mother were rotten."

"You don't have to tell me," Sansa laughed. Zelda smiled at her comment.

"At least you'll always be safe here, now," Zelda said. "Jon doesn't seem to be ready to give you up, no matter what."

Zelda put her arm around Sansa, who returned the embrace softly. Even in such a short exchange Sansa could feel a magical sensation from Zelda. Like she had this effect on people to make them happy and confident like they should be. She entertained the thought of Zelda being her sister-in-law, but only for a split second.

"So, Sansa, now that you're home, why don't you show me some things you like to do here?" Zelda asked.

"All right, follow me please," Sansa said, and they both walked down the stairs to the main center of Winterfell. When they reached the middle, they noticed Jon standing there like he was waiting for them.

"Sansa," he said. "May I please speak with Queen Zelda?"

"It just Zelda," Sansa answered and nodded her head. "We can do something later."

Zelda nodded her head and watched her walk away. "So, what do you want to speak about?"

"I figured if we may marry I should speak to you. I've been wanting to introduce myself to you. I am Jon, but I think you already knew that."

"I am Zelda. But I think you already knew that," she said sarcastically.

Jon smiled and began to walk forward. "You came all this way from Hyrule for my sister. Why is that?"

"I know what it's like to be in a place where you don't belong. I didn't want that for her. After some thinking I decided to let her stay in my castle comfortably until we decided what to do with her. We received this nasty letter from Ramsay Bolton that you were all rotting in his dungeon, waiting to be dog food. So we created a plan and came here immediately. We weren't expecting a battle but we ran into House Arryn along the way and Sansa filled us in. I guess you know what happens next."

"My lady, I will be forever thankful for what you did for my sister. How could I repay you?" he asked.

"Protect her," Zelda answered.

Jon smiled. "She'll be fine. You should be more worried about yourself. Being a sole ruler sounds dangerous."

"You're about to do it."

"But you're a woman."

"What's that got to do with anything?" she asked slightly offended.

"Nothing," he insisted. "It's just hard to believe a woman would be allowed to rule by herself. Have you not got siblings."

"I had a brother," she said.

"What's wrong with him?" Jon asked.

"He's dead."

He paused. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"Don't be," she claimed. "I'm too young to remember him."

Jon still hesitated. "Can I ask what happened?"

"It was sometime after my mother died of her illness. He and my father liked to travel, it took their minds away from the grief. They kept me at home in Hyrule because I was still only an infant. One day in some other kingdom their carriage wrecked. People from a nearby village recovered my father, but the never found my brother. Every day since that day until my father died he would talk about my brother," she said sadly.

Jon did not respond, too taken by sympathy to answer.

"I wish I could have grown with him," Zelda continued. She met eyes with Jon and smiled. "But that is in the past. I can't let it effect me."

"I suppose you're right," Jon agreed. By now they had reached the outskirts of Winterfell and were about to enter the Godswood, the land of the sacred ground.

"What is this?" Zelda asked.

"This is where we worship our old Gods," Jon answered. "We don't have to go in."

"No," Zelda breathed. "I want to." She strode ahead of him and eagerly into the Godswood.

She saw lush, beautiful trees in full bloom, even in the dead of winter. There was a small stream flowing through the grounds with water sparkling like stars in the night's sky. There was an enormous, white wooded tree with a face on it and Zelda was curious with it, but she never asked what it was.

Her attention, however, went over to a moving mass of white curled up on the ground. The beast lifted its head and met Zelda's eyes with fierce red ones. The creature remained calm but stood up, revealing his true size.

"Ghost," Jon said, forgetting that Ghost preferred to stay in the Godswood for the silence. "Stand down, boy."

"Is that a direwolf?" Zelda asked. "Oh, I've only heard about these in stories!" She began to approach the wolf.

"I wouldn't-" Jon began to say, until he stopped and observed as Ghost happily allowed Zelda to approach him and touch his back. The sight shocked him, Ghost did not let even Jon's closest friends touch him, yet he is bonding with a complete stranger.

"I must say, Ghost doesn't ever interact with anyone like that," Jon walked over and said to Zelda. "I'm impressed."

She smiled back at him. "Ghost and I just understand each other."

They smiled at each other and then looked around at the striking scenery.

"It's beautiful here," Zelda said. "Thanks for bringing me here."

"The pleasure is mine," he responded. "You know, they say if you sing in here, the trees will sing back to you."

"Are you going to sing to me?" she smiled.

"I was hoping you would," he smiled back.

She got up and walked to the center of the Godswood. She took in one last look of the trees before she pulled out the blue ocarina from her dress pocket. "I don't know much that a Westerosi man would like to hear," she began. "But how about a lullaby?"

He motioned for her to begin.

She waited a few moments, then brought the ocarina to her lips. Everything was silent as the notes pierced the air. A sweet note, followed by a higher one, followed by a lower one. The music cascaded through the forests like magic falling through the air. Jon felt like his soul was dancing. Zelda closed her eyes and imagined the sparkles in Hylian forests dancing around her. When she finished, the effect lingered in the air and she smiled softly.

"Is this the magic you speak of?" Jon asked.

"Only a glimpse," she responded.

"You're quite the musician," he said.

"And you're quite the swordsman," she answered. "I saw you battling."

"Aye, apparently nothing like your Lord Commander. He is very fierce. He approached me on the battle field. He was the one who told me to siege."

"Fighting is nothing for him anymore. He's been through so much." Her words made her wonder what Link was up to at the moment. An idea clicked in her mind. "Perhaps you should meet him. I think you two would make great friends."

"Tomorrow, then," Jon agreed.

"Tomorrow, then," Zelda repeated.

* * *

 **AN:** Ahhhh this is so overdue. I'm sorry.

I have no idea if Jon would let Zelda in the Godswood in actual GoT, but it made for a nice scene.

I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and it was worth the wait. Let me know what you think! :)

\- TA


	11. Chapter 11

Zelda and her Hylian forces spent quite a few months in the North of Westeros, and those few months were exciting, to say the least.

Shortly after Jon Snow was deemed King in the North and the North rebelled against the Iron Throne, a Queen from Essos invaded Westeros and began to make it her own. Thanks to the other Westerosi lords, Zelda knew that the Queen's name was Daenerys Targaryen, and she was the daughter of a previous king in Westeros.

"Robert's Rebellion, we called it," Lord Royce told Zelda once as they overlooked the open area in Winterfell. "It happened when the Prince, Rhaegar, kidnapped Lyanna Stark, who is Jon's paternal aunt. Lyanna was betrothed to Robert Baratheon, so his house rebelled against the Iron Throne for her. Many other great houses of Westeros would follow, including House Stark, House Lannister, House Arryn, House Tully, and so on. Robert slayed Rhaegar in the Battle of the Trident; and a commander in the Kingsguard, Jaime Lannister, who is also the son of Lord Tywin Lannister, the Commander of the Lannister army, slayed the Mad King Aerys, who was Daenerys' father."

Zelda breathed in, trying to work out all of the information as best as she could in her head. "So then, Robert became the King. And her married Cersei Lannister, Tywin's daughter and Jaime's twin sister. This I know, I got to meet them all. Including hers and Robert's kids."

An unfamiliar chuckle came from behind the two.

Zelda and Royce looked behind them to see a "younger" man with graying hair approach them. He wore all black, and a heavy black cloak with a silver mockingbird pin on the neck. He bore a creepy smile at the two, and his eyes told them he had been eavesdropping their entire conversation.

"They are not Cersei and Robert's kids," the man said.

Zelda shot him a confused look. "Yes... they are," she muttered. "Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen. They are Robert and Cersei's kids. I've met them."

The man continued to smile at her, which made her uncomfortable. "For years, every Baratheon son was born with black hair. But Joffrey, blond. Does this speak something to you?"

"Cersei has blonde hair, so Joffrey would get it from her," Zelda countered.

The man sighed. "Our maesters have noticed that children who have at least one parent with dark hair arguably always have dark hair as well."

"Arguably?" Zelda asked.

"Yes. So, arguably, if Joffrey's hair is not dark, then neither of his parent would have dark hair. And that speaks for Myrcella and Tommen as well," he said.

"Then who would be their father?" she asked.

The men exchanged looks. "There is a theory," Royce began, "going around our country that Jaime is the father of the children instead of Robert."

Zelda contemplated this theory for a second and then spoke. "Well, that really wouldn't surprise me. I saw the way those two looked and spoke to each other. And Jaime seemed more protective of Cersei than a normal brother. I could stand behind that theory."

The more Zelda thought about what the man, who Sansa said was called 'Littlefinger', told her, the more the theory resonated its truth in her. She was always good at reading people, possibly because her wits came from intuition rather than education, and she remembered that Cersei and Jaime were romantic in their ways together. She had also heard that the younger Stark witnessed the two fornicating in a tower at Winterfell.

But the world around her didn't allow her to dwell on it. Daenerys moved fast, and before everyone knew it, her believed-to-be extinct dragons took down the Lannisters and claimed themselves as the rightful rulers of Westeros. Surprisingly to Zelda, none of the other Lords were very concerned. Perhaps they had been so sick of Cersei's rule that going back to a previous Royal House sounded refreshing.

But Daenerys was not determined to stop there. She knew that the North had claimed their independence during their opposition to Cersei, and Daenerys wanted the North to annex back to the Seven Kingdoms. However, Jon wasn't ready to give in to her. Especially because of her actions after claiming the throne.

Apparently, the rest of the Kingdom wanted a public execution of Cersei. However, for the first time in her life, Daenerys showed her mercy. Just as Cersei's late husband had done for her, Daenerys exiled Cersei to a faraway land to never return. Zelda knew that Jon wanted Cersei dead, mostly out of revenge for his father and his sisters, but he never admitted that to anyone.

The dragons had made work on Jaime, or so the word went around. It seemed that Cersei would be all alone in a strange land.

"She's traveling farther east than Essos," Sansa told Zelda. "If it were me, she'd be traveling South. To Hell."

Farther east then Essos was where Hyrule lay. The thought of Cersei being close to Zelda again shook her to the bone, but Zelda knew well that her army wouldn't allow Cersei anywhere near her, especially with Link as her Lord Commander. Zelda smiled softly.

Zelda and Sansa stood on the platform overlooking the hill to Winterfell, as it became their usual quiet place. They had private conversations about life and other things, but mostly just enjoyed spending time together. Nobody ever bothered them when they were there, well, except for one person.

Quiet footsteps emerged from the staircase, footsteps that Zelda could recognize anywhere by now.

"Pardon me," Jon spoke in his polite voice. "But I have news to share with you both."

They stared at Jon, waiting for him to continue.

"We received a raven today. From the New Queen."

"Daenerys," Sansa spoke up. "Why did she write you?"

"Technically she didn't. Tyrion did. But regardless, she's traveling here."

"She's coming here?!" Sansa asked frantically. "What does she want from you? We didn't help her nor oppose her, why can't she leave us alone?"

"She wants us to join the Seven Kingdoms again. That's for sure. But there's one other thing, she wrote: 'I look forward to meeting the Foreign Queen you've been housing.'"

Zelda sat up at this comment. "She doesn't scare me. And there's nothing she can do to me. She can't offer me anything."

Jon and Sansa stood in silence.

Zelda glanced over to them. "Let her come. Worse comes to worse, I'll handle her."

Zelda nodded them goodbye and walked down the staircase.

* * *

A stranger.

Someone who was once known by all, to known by one.

Someone who went from having it all, to having nothing.

Someone who was royalty in the grandest castle, to a stranger in the streets.

These streets were clean, but they weren't what Cersei really wanted.

She sat on a stairway that led to a bridge. By now, her clothes were dirtied and fraying from the weather. Daenerys sent her away with no money to her name. She didn't even have a pan to beg for money in.

Her feet were bloodied from barefoot walking. The pavement beneath her was hot, and she could not make it a few steps without scorching herself.

The skies were bright blue, but everyday Cersei felt trapped under gray skies.

Malsidian, she heard them call it. They stared at her as they passed by. They weren't dressed elaborately. From her observations, these people didn't have much, but they had enough. They lived efficiently.

Despite the name Malsidian, the place wasn't dreadful. There was never rain, nor gloomy skies. The cities were clean and everything was managed. If only she had a place to call home here.

Despite her losses, Cersei didn't do much for help. She talked to no one, and she didn't bother to find any shelters. She thought to herself, if she dies in the streets here, that would be infinitely better than dying the hands of Daenerys and her dragons.

Why the young Queen didn't execute her, she will never understand. The rage that burned in Daenerys seemed to be enough to murder Cersei on the spot, but that never happened.

Westeros was shocked when Daenerys spared Cersei's life, but now Cersei was in a world with completely different people.

People who have no idea who she is. _Or what she did._

Eventually, Cersei's thoughts made her drowsy. She tipped her head back and closed her eyes. The outside world faded away for a time, until she was kicked awake by someone.

"Up!" Some man shouted at her. "Now!"

She didn't resist. She allowed the man to pull her up and push her towards an alleyway.

The buildings blurred together until she found herself stopping in front of a large, stone castle.

"Drop the gate!" the man yelled to no one.

The large door on the castle dropped to form a bridge across the moat. Cersei began to walk across it before the man got the chance to push her.

The inside of the castle was grey stone. There was not much decoration to it, so as Cersei and the man moved through the halls, they all began to blend together.

Eventually, the two stopped in front of black barred doors.

"You are about to have the audience of the King and his daughter the Princess. You are to be determined a punishment for your crimes."

 _My crimes?_ Cersei thought to herself. _They must not allow criminal exiles here._

The doors opened to reveal an equally dull throne room. The plain, black thrones sat on a higher platform from the rest of the room. All that constituted for the country was their banner, which was a bundle of white flowers on a bright blue field.

The King sat to the left of Cersei, he had blue eyes, and his ears and the top of his head were wrapped in a scarf. He was donned in plain black clothing from head to toe. The woman to his left, which Cersei realized was his daughter, looked similar in her black dress with a very low neckline. Her brown hair cascaded in curls around her face. She had a dagger in one hand, and a sharpener in the other.

"King Silas and Princess Belladonna!" a man of the Court proclaimed.

"Miss, do you know why you're here?" Silas asked.

"I suppose there's a few reasons." Cersei answered.

Silas sighed. "Your filth is one of them."

Cersei frowned.

"Also, living on the streets is strictly prohibited in Malsidian. We have worked very hard to make our city as wonderful as it is, we do not need anyone to filth them up."

"Please forgive me, Your Grace," Cersei responded. The words tasted like blood in her mouth. "I'm a foreigner in your land. I'm not adjusted to your customs."

"I didn't recognize your accent," Silas answered. "Where do you come from?"

"Westeros. I suppose Malsidian never had any business going over there."

"Most places don't. Then what brings you here?"

Cersei laughed. "You wouldn't believe me."

"I'm all ears."

"I was exiled from my land. I was a Queen, but I was exiled."

Silas changed to a serious look.

"Tragic, isn't it?" Cersei asked.

"Indeed," Silas replied. "Our latest records tell us that Cersei Lannister is the Queen of Westeros. Is that you?"

Cersei smiled. Belladonna looked up and dragged the sharpener across her blade.

"Well, we can't let a Queen live in the streets. Allow us to arrange a place for you to stay. Do you prefer cottages or to be in the city?" Silas asked.

Cersei was relieved at Silas' mercy. "I suppose either. I don't know what they're like," she answered.

"What's it like to be a Queen?" Belladonna interjected. "Is it fun?"

Cersei stared at her. "It is fun. For a time. But then another younger Queen comes in and takes you down. No matter how hard you try to prevent it, or what you do to save yourself. It's always the younger ones."

Belladonna only stared at her.

"Well, it seems that everything that you want you cannot have. Malsidian doesn't suffer, but we don't prosper. We survive as best as we can. We cannot afford expense on anything. Nothing is elaborate here, but that's the way it has to be," Silas said.

"I suppose that's the way it has to be. I suppose Daenerys Targaryen has to be the Queen." Cersei said.

"Now that's a name," Silas said. "Her actions changed everything in Essos."

"Yes, everything changes," she smirked. "Even back then, my son's first betrothal changed. Once again, another queen, another big-eared Hylian bitch Queen, found a way to tear me down."

"...Hylian ... Queen?" Silas muttered.

"Zelda? Perhaps you've heard of her?"

"You know her?" he asked.

"She was betrothed to my son. She convinced her worthless father to break the betrothal, and went on to become Queen of Hyrule. I have even heard that she has been in the Northernmost part of Westeros for quite some time now."

Silas' expression went fro curiosity to sheer animosity. Blood burned in his body until his face turned bright red. He clenched his fists, but then turned his head to face another man in the Court.

"Arrange a bedchamber for Miss Cersei. I am not finished with her yet."

* * *

"Dragons?" Link asked. "She has three dragons?"

"Apparently," Zelda said. "That's why it was so easy for her to take down Cersei."

They stood in a line with the rest of the Starks, eager for the new Queen's arrival soon. Nobody was sure how this visit would go, but over the last few days, the North had prepared for the worst.

Zelda breathed a heavy sigh and wrung her hands nervously. She certainly wasn't ready to stand down to Daenerys, no matter what she wanted, but she never prepared herself to face a dragon.

Link twisted her hands apart with his own. "It's okay," he muttered. "I've fought dragons for you before. I'll do it again in a heartbeat."

Zelda smiled. _It's like he always knows what I'm thinking._

"Open the gate!" the man on guard yelled.

Pretty soon, a trio of black clothed Targaryens walked through the gates of Winterfell. To the left was a short man, who Zelda recognized as Tyrion from her dreary days in King's Landing. To the right was a tall woman with curly brown hair. And in the middle, Zelda guessed was none other than Daenerys Targaryen herself.

Daenerys stared at Jon. "Lord Snow," she spoke coldly.

"It's an honor to meet you," Jon bowed to her respectfully. Daenerys continued to stare him down aggressively. She turned her head and slowly approached Zelda.

She stopped right in front of her. Zelda stepped out from the line and sent back the same facial expression she was receiving from Daenerys. They were at eye level, with blank empty looks supporting their beating eyes.

After a short time, Daenerys smiled. "You must be Zelda. I'm very excited to meet you."

Zelda was shocked by Daenerys' change in demeanor, but did not let it show. "As it is you. I hear you're impressive."

"Don't worry sir, you won't be needing that," Daenerys spoke, looking just over Zelda's shoulder.

Zelda turned and saw Link standing firmly with his left hand on the handle of his sword. If there was one thing that triggered his urge to battle, it was a threat to Zelda. Even in the slightest way.

"I am not here to fight anyone. As your Queen, I don't want to be a murderer like you're previous one. I am here to bring peace and diplomacy to the Seven Kingdoms. I want to offer something better."

Jon kept his eyes on the ground. "Then I suppose we have matters to discuss."

"We do."

* * *

Hhahahihaventupdatedinlike8monthsimtheworsthahaha

Seriously though. So sorry to anyone who's been waiting. Life is crazy. I'm graduating college soon! :)

I'm gonna try to keep updating this as often as possible. The workload gets crazy at school but I'm so passionate about this story I don't want to forget about it!

So speaking of, sorry for deviating from the show (kind of). I wanted Dany to rise and Cersei to fall but the entire plot of that isn't important to the plot of my story. But it's still kinda going the same. Kinda.

Anyway, I'll stop here. I hope you enjoy this chapter! Sorry it took so long! If you like it tell your friends! The adventure has only begun!

Love

-TA


	12. Chapter 12

The three royal rulers walked into the Great Hall first, followed by their second-in-commands. Behind Jon was the largest group, consisting of Ser Davos, Sansa, Arya, and Tormund the Wildling. Ser Jorah followed behind Daenerys, along with a woman named Missandei, and Tyrion Lannister, who once advised his own tyrannical family in King's Landing. And finally, with Zelda, was her Lord Commander Link, and a proficient general in the Hylian Army named Aurelius.

The Great Hall was somber as ever, with a copious amount of wax candles sitting everywhere within it. There were three long tables that were set up to make a U-shape. Jon and his followers sat at the center table, while Daenerys and Zelda sat at the tables adjacent to Jon's.

"So," Jon began while looking at Daenerys. "Why are you here?"

"I think you already know the answer to that, Jon Snow," she answered. "I'm here to rule the Seven Kingdoms," she lowered her eyebrows and glared at Jon. "All seven of them."

Jon sighed. "My people seceded from the Seven Kingdoms because they did not want to be ruled by a monster. They chose me because they trusted me to be their honest ruler. How should they know that the New Queen is not a monster? How can you prove your honesty to them?"

Daenerys held her glare. "I did not rise to power like a king's baby. I walked through deserts and climbed up mountains to get where I am. I've been through much more than you could ever imagine, Jon Snow."

"Just because you've had hardships does not mean you are worthy, Daenerys. And a person is not entitled to rule because of who there father was. You have to earn it," Zelda interjected.

Daenerys shifted her glare and rose from her seat. "I was married to the Great Khal Drogo. He had to leave me all those years ago, but the people who followed me stand outside of the walls of this city. And since that day, every person whose life I changed now follows me. The Unsullied that I liberated from the vicious slave masters, the people of Mereen who I freed from slavery, and the thousands upon thousands of Dothraki clans I freed from disgusting khals, they all believe in me. I did not tell them or force them to, they chose to. Because everyone's right mind will tell them to believe in someone who does the right thing."

After a brief pause, Zelda nodded and lowered her eyes.

"That does speak a lot about you, I suppose," Jon broke the silence. "But everyone has heard about you. You burned thousands of Southerners alive with your dragons to get where you are."

"The ends justify the means," Daenerys replied.

"I didn't think we gathered here to determine Daenerys' rule over Westeros," Ser Davos, Jon's best man, mentioned. "I thought we were here to determine alliances."

"It's not about alliance. It's about annexation," Daenerys answered.

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Jon said. "We've already promised the North as territory to another land."

Daenerys said nothing. Instead, she turned her head to face Zelda, who shot back the same glare.

"It's what the people wanted," Zelda beat Daenerys to speak. "The people made a choice."

"I've heard many tall tales about Hyrule," Daenerys said. "Some are so unbelievable it's easy to think that Hyrule is not real at all.

"But here I am," Zelda said calmly. "And I've done more things for these people than you have. I protected Arya Stark from harm, even when my best judgement told me not to. I brought her back over here, along with a fraction of my army, and helped the King in the North take back his ancestral territory," she stopped to glare at Daenerys. "All while you burned everyone alive."

"If I had no enemies I would not have to burn anyone."

Everyone let this settle in, and it was not long before Sansa spoke up.

"Daenerys, with our deepest apologies, we cannot annex the North back to Westeros under our current situation. But perhaps you could consider an alliance with our new mother country Hyrule?" Sansa shot Zelda a hopeful look.

Link and Aurelius looked at Zelda, who had shown no emotions about the new topic.

"It wouldn't be a bad idea," Tyrion Lannister, Daenerys' hand, spoke up. "Those tall tales that you've heard are true. Hyrule is a truly sovereign country that no one in their right mind would mess with. That army could give your Dothraki a run for their money."

Zelda knew why Tyrion knew that. He had known her when she was a girl, when she was forced to live in King's Landing with Joffrey. Normally, seeing a Lannister would have brought of feeling of resentment to her surface, but Tyrion was the only Lannister who ever understood her.

When she lived in King's Landing, she always liked to have Tyrion around. He was able to keep Joffrey from going wild, and he was able to keep Cersei away from her, too. Tyrion used to tell her funny stories about the folklore of his country and he would give her jewelry and other trinkets he acquired while adventuring around Westeros.

"It's good to see you, Lord Tyrion," Zelda said. "And I agree. It wouldn't be a bad idea at all."

She rose from her seat and walked into the open space. "Should you be attacked by your enemies, Hyrule will eliminate them with you."

Daenerys met her in the open space. "Is that your only requirement?"

"No. The only other thing. If Hyrule should be attacked by her enemies, including enemies that the North may have, you will eliminate them with Hyrule. No exceptions. Do you understand?"

"I understand."

Zelda began to pace. "I know what your dragons can do. And I imagine what they'll do for you." She fixed her gaze on Daenerys. "You say you've heard stories of Hyrule, but if you use your dragons in vain ever again, let's just say I know that stories in Hyrule about dragon slayers are in fact true."

Zelda slowly raised her right arm out to Daenerys, who stared at it for a few seconds.

"No more," Daenerys agreed and shook Zelda's delicate hand.

The two raised their arms up and down, and there was awkward silence while they waited for the debate to continue.

"I suppose our work here is done," Tyrion said delightfully, and rose from his chair. "Now what do we do?"

Zelda turned to Link, who had the same idea as her.

"I have to go home," she said to Jon. "I can't stay here forever. Hyrule needs me."

"I understand, my Queen," Jon said. "Shall I prepare for the journey with you?"

"No," Zelda answered quickly. "I think you need to stay here, it will quicken these alliances to becoming concrete. After that, you shall come to Hyrule where you will stay." She gave him a warm smile.

After Jon returned one, he looked up and said: "All right. Meeting adjourned."

* * *

Meanwhile, in Malsidian, Silas had taken quite a liking to Cersei.

He was an unmarried man, for his wife had died many years before from illness. The only other family he had in Malsidian was his daughter, Belladonna. Silas was always vague about the rest of his family. He angrily shrugged it off any time it was mentioned in civil affairs.

Silas and Cersei were heading back to their castle from the church on horses. She learned quickly that Malsidian was an extremely faithful nation. However, their religion was not as blissful as the Faith of the Seven. Their religion was called Twilight's Deliverance. All of the churches were completely black with tribal marking etched in blue around them. They seemed to have only one named "god," a dark cloaked figure they called Zant. But there was a nameless one they worshipped much more, one they believed Zant was a loyal servant to.

Silas was very passionate about his religion, and Cersei did her best to understand it in order to best understand Silas.

"So what is the current status of the nameless god?" she asked him on their ride.

"He is not nameless," he answered. "His name can never be spoken by our mortal tongues. We are not worthy. He is the most magnificent being that ever lived."

"Well, where is he?" she asked. "If he's so magnificent, why does he do nothing?"

"THE ELITISTS BANISHED HIM!" Silas screamed frighteningly. It was enough to make Cersei retreat, but he kept going. "He was locked away in another realm by sinners. Sinners who thought they knew what they could do with the world."

"Who are these evil-doers?" she asked.

"All I can say is that they were many different people. No one knows who they are. It is not part of history in this world. All that is known is that it happened in Hyrule, and there was a Hylian, a creature of the mountains, a creature of the rivers, and other people. No account is the same."

"Is that why you hate Hyrule so much?"

"Partially," Silas answered.

"And how do you know this?" Cersei asked, intimidated. She read the entire book on the religion, and all the information Silas just cited was not in it.

Silas smiled creepily. "He talks to me."

"... Talks... to you?"

"Yes."

"Can I know how?"

"You do not know the way of the Twilight," Silas answered condescendingly.

"No," Cersei answered. "But it would be enlightening."

They were quiet the rest of the way to the castle. After they let themselves off their horses and into the castle privately, Silas began talking.

"He does not come to me in a dream, or like a phantom," he started. "I have to connect with him in a different way."

"Will you show me?" Cersei asked.

Silas nodded.

"I'm excited to finally know the true way of your god," she said. "I've never felt a truer religion."

"Ah yes," Silas said, and grabbed her hands. He led her to his chamber, which had another door to a large room inside it. "You shall see."

* * *

Unfortunately for Zelda, she had to conjure Farore's Wind again for the Hylian soldiers because Hyrule did not have the means to send them home. So after Zelda had all of her things settled to begin the long travel back to Hyrule, she went into the Godswood to create Farore's Wind.

She liked the Godswood because she was typically by herself. It was peaceful and quiet, which is just what she needed as a queen.

The spell didn't require any spoken word, just swift movements. Because Zelda had both the Triforce of Wisdom, and the magic bestowed upon her by the Great Fairy, conjuring the spell was fairly easy.

After she locked the magic in a glass crystal, so that it could be used later, she was frightened by a unforeseen voice.

"That was fantastic," Daenerys Targaryen said behind her back. "So I guess all the tales about Hyrule are true."

"Perhaps they are," she answered. "Depending on what you've heard."

"I would like to find out for myself," Daenerys said.

"Well," Zelda smiled. "You would be welcome anytime. I sense a lot of common ground between you and me. I should like to have you on my side. And myself on yours."

"I hear your sealing the annexation with marriage to Jon, perhaps I'm invited to your ceremony."

Zelda smiled weakly. She liked Jon and was grateful for his company, but she still did not want to marry him. He was still not who she truly loved.

After Daenerys received no response, she followed Zelda out of the godswood, where the Hylian soldiers waited for their transportation, and where Link wait on Epona with Zelda beside him.

"Until next time, Daenerys Stormborn," Zelda said.

"Until next time." Daenerys smiled, and the two shook hands meaningfully.

Sansa, Arya, Tyrion, and Jon waited in a line to say their goodbyes to Zelda, and she went down the line and bid all of them goodbye individually.

"Goodbye, Miss Zelda," Sansa said. "I'm going to miss you."

"You are more than welcome to come to Hyrule anytime. We will gratefully accept you," Zelda replied.

"Seriously?" she asked.

"Seriously," Aurelius echoed, and flashed Sansa a smile, and she blushed.

Zelda pretended not to notice and moved down the line.

"Hyrule is going to be quiet without you," she said to Arya. "And maybe less reckless. But I extend the same invite to you as Sansa."

"Thank you, Zelda. I will miss you too," Arya said.

The two looked at each other for a second before they embraced. Then, Zelda met eyes with her next goodbye.

"It really was good to see you, Lord Tyrion. You really were the only thing I liked about King's Landing."

Tyrion nodded humbly. "That's what everyone says," he joked.

She laughed lightly and moved on to Jon.

"My Queen," he began.

"Jon," she said. "I look forward to seeing you again." She could feel Link's heart ache in her own.

"Hopefully it will come fast," he said, and kissed her hand. "Safe travels."

"Absolutely." Zelda looked around Winterfell one last time. All of the citizens were giving her warm and welcoming smiles, and Zelda knew she wouldn't ever mind coming back to this part of Westeros.

She climbed on her horse, and stared longingly at Jon as the gates opened and she exited. As much as Jon seemed to care for her, she still struggled with her inner conflict. Choose her duty and wed Jon, or choose her heart and love Link?

She may never get to make the choice on her own.

* * *

The journey home was, to say the least, uneventful. They made their way back to Volantis, and then again into Hyrule. Zelda had never felt so much delight as she did when she saw the outskirts of her country. The smoky mountains, the massive lake, and the beautiful plains all in one place made her country so exquisite. That, and the magic.

When they reached the stairway to the castle, Zelda eagerly jumped off her horse and ran up them. There were farmhands there waiting to care for the horse, and there were more guards than usual.

"Wait, Zelda!" one of the guards exclaimed as she went by. But she did not listen. She wanted to go meet with Nabooru and tell her everything that happened, as well as Hyrule's political gains.

She half-expected to find Nabooru in the chamber of the council members, but to Zelda's surprise it was empty. She ran about the castle, until she finally depended on her last resort, which was where she was: the throne room.

Nabooru sat on the small steps just before the throne, saying nothing. She was by herself. She did not look up or say anything when Zelda approached her, she just kept the same look of sorrow on her face.

"What is it?" Zelda hesitated to ask.

Nabooru picked up a letter in front of her. "This was sent here a few days ago. It was for you, but I've been opening all your mail while you've been gone, so." She handed Zelda the letter.

Zelda slowly raised the letter to herself. And what she saw settled horror into her skin.

The letter had no words. Just a drawing of a face. The face was shaped like a heart, with three spikes on each side and two on the top. The face was red around the eyes, with purple on the outside, and orange on top. Tribal markings decorated the entire face. The most striking feature, however, was the eyes. The eyes went from orange on the outside to bright yellow on the inside. The irises were bright green.

And Zelda knew what it was. She knew _exactly_ what it was.


End file.
